After Re-Education
by sheerio4ever
Summary: Adrian never found Sydney in Re-Education. Now she is getting married to Ian, who she doesn't love, but she can't remember much about her life before re-education. Zoe is filled with guilt but will she help her sister? Adrian is forced in an engagement by his parents to no-one but Nina Sinclair. Will he marry her and give up on Sydney Sage? *Longer Summary Inside* Post TFH fic.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Bloodlines Series. **

**A/N: So, my newest story: After Re-Education. This is the long summary: **

**Adrian was never able to find Sydney and save her from re-education. This is set four years after and Sydney has been released from re-education. She is getting married to Ian, despite the fact that she doesn't actually love him. She is messed up after re-education and can't remember much about what happened before that and how she got sent there. Zoe is filled with guilt about what she did and her new, secret relationship. Adrian on the other hand, still loves Sydney, but his parents force him into a marriage with Nina. He doesn't love her, but her thinks that he will never find Sydney. Jill, knowing his pain, tries to help him but she has problems of her own. But does Sydney get married to Ian? Does Adrian get married to Nina? Will they meet again and regret their choices? **

Sydney Sage sat at the dressing table as Zoe put bobby pins in her hair. She had no idea where Zoe had learned to do such elaborate hairstyles, but they were beautiful. As Zoe's hands left her head, she twisted side to side admiring her hair. Her dark blonde tendrils had been curled and somehow twisted up into a bun with strands hanging around her face, framing it. It seemed impossible to Sydney, but then gain she never really never had any interest in fashionable hairstyles. Physics were always more of her thing... and architecture.

No Sydney! A voice scolded her inside her head. You are not allowed to think of that. It's pointless and stupid. Only a unreachable dream, that brushed your fingertips but you never quite reached it. Or was that just your imagination? Were you never close to it all?

She shook the voice from her head. Alchemy was what she was born for. Not architecture and certainly not mechanics.

What did I tell you! The voice seemed to scream. Stop it! You are stupid to think about things like that. Forget them, they are pointless. How are they going to help you if you were ever faced with a, a, a vampire!

Sydney shuddered in her seat. That word. It sent shivers up her spine. Vampires. Surely they weren't all that bad...

See there you go again! You don't deserve to be an Alchemist. You should be sent to re-education again, but this time you should stay in there forever and ever! The voice shrieked, refusing to be ignored.

The voice is right, Sydney thought. I'm betraying my group by these thoughts. And I don't want to go back to re-education. She felt terror run through her as she imagined the uncomprehendable pain and darkness of the cleansing of your soul. The first time she had tried to resist in futile but never, never again. They had only tried to help her, and she had refused it. She saw that now.

Good girl, the voice praised gently.

"Sydney? Are you okay?" Zoe's worried voice broke Sydney from her thoughts. Her and Zoe were proper sisters now again afterwards. Zoe was disgusted at first but when she saw that her sister was indeed healed, she relented. Zoe was the successful one in the family now though. She had been sent on a mission shortly after they had reconciled though, with one of the dhampirs that had been on Sydney's last mission. The big one... in... Palm... Springs? The information came slow and heavy. It was tiring trying to remember it. Now she was confined to office work though. She didn't mind, it was a fair punishment. Maybe, just maybe, one day she'd be sent back to field work. It would be nice.

"Huh?" Sydney had slipped back into her thoughts before she could answer Zoe's question.

"I asked if you were alright?" Zoe repeated. Zoe was worried about her sister. Ever since she came out of re-education, Sydney wasn't her normal self. She had lost all her personality. She wasn't... Sydney. It was the first time Zoe felt regret about working against Sydney and bringing her to re-education. She understood what Sydney was going through now. She was filled with guilt at the memories of her current post. She worked with Neil, the dhampir from Palm Springs. And they... she was instantly filled with guilt. She should be sent to re-education herself for her sins.

"Oh... yeah." Sydney shot Zoe a small smile. "Thanks for my hair, it's really beautiful. Where did you learn to do it?"

"Umm... Mom taught me, ages ago when we were kids." It was a lie, but obviously Zoe couldn't admit that her passion was to become a hair stylist. That her decision to become an Alchemist had been out of pettiness for her father. She had only realised that on her seventeenth birthday when she realised all the things that she missed out on. She never had friends or a boyfriend. Never had fun family days or went to a proper party. Never talked to a person her own age about something considered normal. Never read a magazine.

"Really? Cool." Sydney took the lie.

That was another thing. Sydney. The first thing she had talked to Sydney about after she had been released from re-education, Sydney had admitted that the only reason that she had become an Alchemist was so that Zoe could have a somewhat normal life, like Carly, even though Sydney herself wanted to become an Architect. That was when she was somewhat normal, before she completely lost it. She had spotted Keith a few days afterwards and she had attempted to strangle him, screaming that he had raped Carly. Of course nobody had believed her. Keith had been pretty much the same as Sydney; emotionally unstable. Except he had been able to control it better.

Sydney had been sent back to re-education for the second time. When she came back this time she was practically lifeless. She gradually gotten better over time but she didn't resemble her sister. That's when she began to really regret the decision. So much that she wanted to cry every single time she thought about her stupid mistake. She had betrayed her sister, for what? The hope of praise? No, instead she was pushed away... again.

"Do you like the dress? I helped pick it." Sydney smiled into the mirror. She remembered picking it. She knew exactly what her sister would like. It wasn't unusual for nineteen year olds to want a beautiful dress, especially one like this. And Zoe deserved it more than most nineteen year olds.

"It's gorgeous." Zoe told her as she fiddled with the hem of the skirt.

"Not too short I hope."

"Nope." The hem reached the bottom of her knees, the shortest that she had dared to ask for. It was a lovely dress. It was tight at the top, illuminating Zoe's slim figure... perhaps maybe too slim. The skirt went out though. It was a pale purple with matching heels and flowers adorned in her hair. The flowers were artificial of course.

"I'm glad you like it." Sydney whispered, catching Zoe's eye in the mirror. "They bring out your eyes, you know." She turned from the mirror completely to face Zoe. "Do you know if Carly and Mom are coming in?" She looked eagerly towards the door.

"No, they said that they didn't want to bother you and that they'll see you afterwards, in the reception." Even Zoe knew that it was a lie. Her mother would never not show up for her daughter's wedding but she had been ashamed of what her father had done, angry was a better word. And she was worried that if she went too near Sydney that she might just murder Jared Sage.

"Oh..." Sydney was disappointed. She turned the chair around to face the mirror again. Zoe could clearly see the tears welling up in both of their eyes. She blinked hers way just as Sydney let hers fall.

"Syd..." Zoe sighed, she wrapped a arm around her sister's shoulder.

"Why don't they love me anymore?" Sydney voice quivered. She was still emotionally unstable, more so depression than anger now.

"They do, they do, they do," Zoe attempted to comfort her. "I can go get them if you want."

"No," Sydney shook her head and took a deep breath. "They don't want to come, we have to respect that." She took the tissue Zoe offered and dabbed at her eyes. "Lucky that we didn't put on my make-up yet, right?" She joked. "I would have mascara all over my dress, then what would we do?" She gave a weak little laugh.

"Yeah..." Zoe sighed. "Let's get started on that make-up.

As Zoe applied various sticks of make-up all over Sydney's face. Why was she getting married to Ian of all people? She didn't love him or care about him. It was all one-sided really. Then the voice reminded her. To make your father proud that you were getting married to a respectable man and not a, a, a vampire. She shuddered nervously again.

"Sydney stop squirming or you'll get lip gloss all over your face!"Zoe sighed exasperatedly.

"Sorry..." She mumbled.

"Finished." Sydney could hear the smile in Zoe's voice. "You look gorgeous."

"Thanks." Sydney peaked at herself in the mirror. She looked very different... she could only ever remember looking like this once before... before re-education... in Palm Springs... she was dressed in... a red Greek dress... with...

Ugh! She screamed mentally. Why can't I remember! Why is it so hard to remember! She felt like screaming and crying and thrashing the room in frustration but that would do no good except ruin her big day and probably get herself sent to re-education for a third time... and she really did not like that horrendous voice, the voice in her head was bad enough.

"Need a hand getting up?" Zoe asked. "Dad will be here in, about twenty minutes." Zoe said the words like their father was any other person, she held no praise or awe for him now. Now, she thought of him as a despicable man who deserved to die and rot in hell for what he had made her do to her sister, to her family, to her life. She felt foolish for ever thinking he was God's gift to the world.

"Yes please." Sydney said as she took Zoe's outstretched hand. Her dress was simple, she hadn't wanted anything else. Despite what everybody say, she didn't want to get married to Ian. He was more like a friend than a soon to be husband to her. At least it was better than getting married to someone she hated, like for example... Keith.

As she stood up, her dress was revealed in full. She had put it on first, ignoring Zoe's tormented sighs about how in should go on last to prevent anything from happening to it. She had refused to listen though, or it Zoe's case 'see sense'. The dress was the only thing that she liked about this occasion. The only thing she had looked forward to. Also, ignoring Zoe had been a small act of defiance and that made Sydney feel more like what she imagined her old self to felt like. Free.

The dress was pretty though. It clung to Sydney's body - but not it a bad way. Sydney was also very thin, so thin that she may as well have an eating disorder. She had never been able to stomach much food or gain extra pounds after she left from re-education. It had lace sleeves but that was the only decoration on the dress. She had picked ivory, because the white washed her skin colour out too much... well, the ivory did too but the make-up helped with that. The only ornament she wore was a simple gold cross. It was one that Ian had bought her awhile ago. She had had a prettier one, but they had discarded it in re-education when they discovered that it had some meaning to her past... she couldn't exactly place what that meaning was but she knew that it had meant a lot to her.

It didn't mean anything... The voice whispered in her head. Nothing at all, your just imagining things again.

Sydney didn't have the will to answer back. She wanted to believe it meant something. She didn't want to believe the voice. She hated the voice.

That's not nice Sydney, the voice chastised. Well it's true, she argued back.

It was safe to say that she, Sydney Sage, was crazy and she really just wanted to die...

"Are you excited?" Zoe asked Sydney the question when she realised the look on Sydney's face. The one that made Zoe want to kneel down and confess all the things she'd done wrong and then throw herself of a cliff. She was in the same position that Sydney had been it before she had been sent to re-education except with a... dhampir. When she looked at Sydney, she felt sick. If anyone ever found out, that's what she would be like. No will to live.

"No." Sydney said monotonously. She decided not to lie. It was only Zoe, her sister would understand... she only ever tried to help Sydney, maybe she could help now.

"Why not?" Zoe asked confused. She thought Sydney was happy with Ian. In love with him.

"I don't love Ian like that." Sydney let out a small, sad sigh. "I love someone else."

"Who do you love?" Zoe asked quietly. Sydney didn't have that many admirers did she?

"I don't know. I can't remember. All I know is that I love someone else, not Ian." Sydney sighed, her eyes misty. She was trying to remember but nothing was coming through. Why not?

You're not allowed to remember, the voice explained. So much for answers.

"Do you know who he is?" Sydney looked at Zoe, her eyes shining with hope.

"I-I," Of course Zoe knew who he was. But would she tell Sydney? "I do." She decided to say, she owed Sydney that much.

"Can you tell me who he is? Do you have a picture?" Sydney was excited now. She wanted to know so, so badly. And Zoe had the information.

"I - I can." Zoe gulped. If anyone found out what she was doing she would be killed, nevermind re-education.

"Really?"

"Yes, but only if you are sure that you don't want to get married to Ian."

"I'm sure." Sydney was sure. She felt the most sure that she had been in a long time.

"We have to go then," Zoe's heart was racing but her mouth was dry and her throat was dry. "Away from here. Back to my apartment until I get us flights to somewhere else."

"We're running away?" Sydney asked.

"No, we're reuniting you with old friends."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bloodlines. **

**A/N: Next chapter, thanks for all the lovely reviews :) **

Adrian was not happy, not in the least, but he acting like he was for everybody else's benefit. But no matter how hard he tried he couldn't convince himself that he was happy, whereas most people were content to believe that he was okay and not inquire it to it anymore. Only a few people knew how he was really feeling - Jill, Eddie and Hopper. Or rather Hopper did. When his year was up, he had just vanished. It was so unexpected, it just... happened, there were no signs, no warnings. Adrian had ran to Jackie Terwillenger, begging for her to bring Hopper back but without Sydney, Hopper was gone. A year later the mission was over.

Now it was four years since Sydney had disappeared that night. Four years since Eddie had turned up on Ms. Terwillenger's doorstep uttering the words that broke Adrian's heart: Centrum Permanebit. And Adrian was getting married to none other but Nina Sinclair.

He didn't want to, Nina had become a great friend but he didn't love her. His mother took that the wrong way though. As soon as she came back from prison she had a wedding set on her mind. A few months later, she forced him to propose and unfortunately Nina said yes.

"Adrian...?" Jill entered the room. She was worried about him. Everything had gone downhill ever since Sydney had been taken away. She could have killed the Alchemists for doing that. Drown every single one of them. Especially that Jared Sage man and Zoe. She'd save Sydney of course. No, you are Jill, you don't have hostile thoughts, this is the spirit darkness talking. She shook the disturbing thoughts from her mind. "Are you okay?"

"Yes Jailbait, I'm feeling brilliant. That's why you are taking spirit darkness from me I'm sure." Adrian gave her a pointed look.

"I just want to make sure that you didn't ruin your big day with depression." She defended herself. "And I didn't mean to, I'm just used to it. It's becoming natural for me."

"Well it shouldn't be." Adrian said glumly. "You shouldn't have to be taking spirit darkness from me every time it gets too much. You are Jill, you should be your normal, happy self who rambles about nice things not goes on rants about bad things that effect me." Adrian was really feeling bad.

"On the bright side," Jill began. "I think you are just having a normal bad mood not a spirit darkness bad mood." Adrian snorted in reply.

"You know Jailbait, I didn't think I was ever going to get married. And then I dismissed that thought and thought I'd get married to Sydney." A pang of unforgettable pain shot through his heart as he said her name out loud. "I never thought for a second that I would get married to Nina, I didn't think I'd get married at all." Adrian turned around so that Jill couldn't see him cry. Four years and he still cried and felt broken when he thought about her. She could be dead for the best of his knowledge. It had been impossible to find her. He had recruited Abe to help because he knew that Zmey found her interesting, he had Rose and Dimitri, Marcus Hood and his Merrymen, Eddie, Angeline, Lissa but no-one had had any luck. He had to admit that those Alchemists were good. Jared Sage probably suspected that Adrian loved his daughter and was going to save her, that he didn't just have an infatuation with her and would drop her as soon as she was gone. He hated to admit but that man was smart, but if he ever saw Jared Sage he would not hesitate to kill him.

"Adrian!" Jill snapped. "Stop it." She walked over to him, waving a hand in front of his face. Adrian didn't break through. "Adrian?" Her eyes became wide as she was dragged into Adrian's head. Adrian's dark thoughts. 'I am Jill Manstrato-Dragomir. I love Eddie Castile. I am getting out of Adrian's head.' Her thoughts didn't work. She was pulled along in Adrian's river of dark, hopeless thoughts.

Jill began to think the same as Adrian. Sydney, her mind wailed. Where are you? I miss you! Come back to me! I love you!

She was so absorbed by his misery, so deep inside his head that she did not heard the door open and close. The heavy footsteps run up to her. The deep, panicky breathing.

"Jill! Jill!" Eddie had entered the room. "Jill, wake up! You are not Adrian Ivashkov!" And he kissed her. That brought her back to realisation.

"Eddie!" She cried, clutching at his shirt, staining it with tears. "It's awful, h-he..."

"Shh," Eddie hushed her. "It's okay, it's okay." He held her tightly for a few moments before he leaned back and tried to detach her hands from his shirt. "Jill." He said it gently at first. "Jill." His voice got stronger, he sounded like a parent telling a naughty child off. "We have to wake Adrian up."

"O-okay." Jill sniffed sadly. "But I'm no Sydney." She stood up slowly and walked stiffly over to Adrian. "I am so, so sorry but I have to do this." She whispered. She raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face then sprang back out of the way with agility and speed, just like Eddie had thought her. He smiled with pride and love.

Adrian came to coughing and choking on his tears. "What the hell?" He screamed, looking around wildly. Jill felt tears prick at her eyes, how could she slap him when all he needed was some love and support. No, she thought, all he needs is Sydney. And she's gone. Jill felt herself choking on tears, but these ones were her own and not Adrian's.

"You were consumed by spirit darkness." Eddie explained for her. "Jill slapped you to snap you out of it."

"I guess I should say thank-you then." Adrian answered as Eddie handed him a tissue.

"Yes, you should." Eddie gave him a hard look. "Are you ready? You are due on the altar in five minutes."

"Yes." Adrian answered. "But I don't see what it matters if I am fashionably late."

"The only one allowed to be fashionably late is the bride... or the model." She smirked at referring to her career. After she had returned to Court and everything was sorted out, she had sought out the profession and she had been modelling for the last couple of months in local fashion shows now.

"True..." Adrian was quiet for a minute. "I suppose we should go then. Come on best man and woman." He had selected Eddie for the role of best man, but Nina had been insistent on having two people by his side. So he picked Jill, because, she was Jill. Nina hadn't been happy about it but hadn't openly protested about it either. He could have had picked Christian or Dimitri but... where was the fun in that?

. . .

Adrian's mind was muddled as he stood at the altar holding Nina's hand. Jill stood beside him and Eddie beside her, his hand on the small of her back. Adrian was barely concentrating on the ceremony. He was daydreaming of Sydney, he was daydreaming of running the hell away, he was daydreaming of Hopper, he was daydreaming about his old but happy life in Palm Springs four years ago. He had a big, natural smile on his face but inside he was falling apart.

Jill was feeling and seeing this all through the bond. She tried to ignore it but she couldn't, she was so close to snapping. The wedding kept moving on though.

"If anyone knows why these two people should not be joined in Holy Matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace." The priest spoke. Only to Adrian and Jill he spoke it so slowly, so hypnotising, so... welcomingly. Adrian's emotions built up inside of him through the whole sentence, so much that he felt that he was going to burst. Jill felt the agony too, she just had to speak up, right?

Adrian was prepared to just walk out or collapse, whichever came first.

Jill was prepared to scream that Adrian and Nina didn't belong together.

But they both remained rooted to the spot, staring into space, as the seconds ticked by, as time began to run out...

**A/N: Sorry for the cliffie :D **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bloodlines. **

**A/N: Thanks for all the lovely reviews, they are greatly appreciated :) **

Everything happened so fast in Rose's eyes, but maybe that was because she did not know what the hell so going on, and that was a first for Rosemarie Hathaway. What she did know was that it effected Adrian greatly because one minute he was at the top of the altar getting married to Nina Sinclair - another spirit user that Rose wasn't friendly with - and the next the church door swings open and Adrian is staring open-mouthed at whoever was standing at the door.

Before Rose could even register what was going on, and look back at whoever had made such a dramatic entrance, Adrian was storming down the aisle with a murderous look on his face.

For Lissa it was different, everything was a little bit clearer, despite all the guardians that had sprung in front of her and blocked her vision somewhat, and Rose tightly gripping her hand, preparing to pull her away any second if needed. It was clearer because she could see Adrian's aura, dimly since she was still on the anti-depressants, but just strong enough that she could make out how he was feeling. As a result, everything went much, much slower as she anticipated what was happening.

She knew that something was badly wrong as soon as Adrian stormed down the church with intense anger pulsing throughout the bit of his aura that she could see. She looked over at Jill and she had a feeling that her sister was experiencing all this commotion through Adrian's eyes rather than her own.

Adrian however wasn't sure what the hell he was doing, all he knew that he was angry, really angry, and all this emotion was directed at the person who stood just inside the door, obviously nervous of whatever her intentions were... or maybe it was because she was in a church full of vampires. He didn't know and he really didn't care, all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her neck or hit her or mess with her mind or, or, it didn't matter as long as it was painful.

Nina, who remained on the altar, ran over to Jill and began to help Eddie try and get her out of Adrian's head. She wasn't concerned one bit about Adrian, just relived that this stifling ceremony was taking a break - no matter how dramatic.

Christian was the one to recover first. "Someone grab him!" He roared just as Adrian reached the unknown woman and pulled back his curled up fist...

Only he never got the chance to actually hit her because Dimitri had grabbed him and tackled him to the ground, pinning him there.

"Adrian!" Jill screamed, snapping out of her trance and springing out of Eddie's arms and making her way down the altar. She shot the woman at the back of the church a death glare. One that nobody had thought her capable of.

"Right!" Lissa stood up in full Queen mode. "We came here for a wedding! You-" she directed at the woman that had caused the disruption in the first place. "Unless you have absolutely urgent business, sit down and we can discuss why you are here afterwards." She looked as if she was about to protest but as a dhampir guardian touched her shoulder, she quickly shut her mouth and sat down. "Unless you happen to be Adrian's secret lover or something like that?" She shook her head. "Good."

"You," this time she was talking to Jill. "Back up to the altar and calm down!" She shook her head hopelessly.

"Guardian Belikov, could you please release the groom." She sighed, it was times like this that she seriously wondered why she let herself be forced to be the Queen. She looked down at Christian, who sat the other side of her, he was grinning up at her. He always found it amusing when she tried to take charge of a situation. So much for helping...

"Adrian, dear cousin, could you please return to your bride so we can finish this ceremony?"

"No." Adrian's voice rang throughout the silent church. He now looked at the woman in desperation, all the sudden anger that he had earlier displayed seemingly gone.

"What!" Now it was Lady Daniella Ivashkov's turn to create a dramatic scene as her husband, Lord Nathan Ivashkov, just shook his head as if he had expected this.

"With all due respect, Lady Ivashkov, we can't force him to marry Ms. Sinclair." Lissa suddenly felt a flash of pity towards the girl, this must be her worst nightmare. She spared a glance at her, instead of the expected dismay she wore a relived smile.

"I think it is safe to say that this wedding is over." Christian stood up beside Lissa and grabbed her hand, finally deciding to give a helping hand. "Clear out in an orderly fashion, no gossiping please." He still had a massive grin imprinted on his face despite the glares that he received from the people who still didn't like taking orders from an Ozera.

"Adrian, Jill and you," she pointed to the woman that had caused this breakdown. "Follow me now." Lissa demanded them sharply. She led them into her headquarters with Christian by her side.

"I didn't know that dealing with wedding dramatics was in your job description." Christian whispered to her out of the side of his mouth.

"Neither did I," Lissa whispered back, rubbing her temples out of habit. "Apparently everything is in my job description these days though."

"Don't worry Liss, as soon as they all clear off I'll give you a well deserved massage." He winked, she just rolled her eyes and gave him a light punch in the shoulder.

When everybody had piled into the big, spacious room, Lissa proceeded to prepare her many questions, but before she delivered them she took a look around the room to see who had invited themselves along. There was the unknown girl that, now that she was in proper lighting, had a golden lily on her cheek - an Alchemist. There was Jill, Adrian, Eddie, Rose, Dimitri, Christian, Lady Ivashkov and several other guardians that were positioning themselves outside the door as Rose and Dimitri reassured them that they would look after the Queen.

"Okay, first of all, who are you?" She looked at the Alchemist.

"I'm Zoe Sage." She stated formally.

"Nice to meet you Zoe, I'm Lissa Dragomir." She introduced herself using her nickname, she never really used her proper name anymore unless she was with someone extremely important. "I'm the Queen of-" Zoe interrupted her before she could finish.

"I know." Lissa gave her a smile, making sure to hide her fangs to make Zoe more comfortable.

"Great, well this is Christian Ozera, my boyfriend; Rose Hathaway and Dimitro Belikov, my guardians and close friends; Eddie Castile, another guardian - to Jill; Lady Ivashkov and it seems that you already know Adrian and Jill."

"Eddie too," Zoe mumbled.

"Well, now that the introductions are done, we can sit down and sort out this problem." Lissa tried to make her voice sound as soothing but cheerful as possible. Christian shot her a small smile as he sat down between Zoe and Jill, who were glaring at each other.

"Alright, let's start off with you Ms. Sage. What brings you here?" Lissa asked. Why was an Alchemist here anyway ? They usually avoided the Court as much as possible, and if she was here on formal business Lissa would have known about it - the Alchemists were efficient.

"I'm here to talk to Mr. Ivashkov." Everyone looked at her expectantly. "Privately." She added.

"Whatever you need to say to me you can say in front of them..." Adrian snapped.

Meanwhile, Rose was staring intently at Zoe, examining her face. Sage. Sage. Sage. "Are you Sydney Sage's sister?" She asked incredulously. Why didn't they think to look for her and force her to tell her where Sydney was? Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

"Yes, and I presume that you are that dhampir that she helped escape." Zoe spat.

"Yup that was me." Rose leaned back into the chair in a relaxed position. "We had such a great time, she was scared stiff of me for quite awhile though. Zoe just shot her a look of pure disgust and disdain.

"Well, what do you have to say?" Jill growled at Zoe.

"I said that that information was for him and him alone." Zoe hissed back.

"Well it hardly matter to me, I'm his bond mate and I'd find out eventually." Jill spat venomously at her.

Christian looked as if he was regretting the decision of sitting between those two but Lissa was sure that if he hadn't that they would have clawed each other's eyes out by now.

Rose had sat up straighter at the start of the spat and looked as if she was about to cheer them on, until she caught Dimitri's eye and quietened down.

"Ladies!" Lissa shouted rising up as if this somehow made her more powerful. "Please!" They both stopped and looked at her.

"Ms. Sage, you can speak to Adrian privately and Jill will not. But, for your own safety and because I don't think I can trust you privately I highly suggest that you bring Eddie with you." Lissa gave her verdict.

Zoe looked at Eddie and then back to Lissa and nodded.

"Okay, since that is settled you can all leave. Ms. Sage, Adrian, Eddie, I want you to report back to me after you have settled whatever it is that you came here for. Eddie, I'm leaving you in charge. Goodbye." And with that she disappeared with Christian into another room.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bloodlines. **

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to: TheHappyLOL. I wanted to get this chapter up for Monday but right now I'm sick with a temperature and the flu so it took a while... I made it as long though. **

Zoe was glad that the Queen had allowed her to meet with Adrian and say her few words in private, the less people that knew the better. Of course, she was a bit nervous, her Alchemist training had ensured that. Also, she had no idea what she was going to do afterwards; run away and ensure being put into re-education if she were caught or risk going that and making up a good cover story about how Sydney just lost it and committed suicide or something - something to get her sister off the radar. This was all presuming that Adrian had and still does love her and it wasn't some hopeless infatuation that most men seemed to have around her sister.

Of course, Eddie was coming along too but that was kind of okay, she wasn't one hundred percent comfortable with it but she knew that Sydney had considered him trustworthy. Trustworthy enough that she placed her sanity in his hands, and he really did try to protect her but he failed because he was outnumbered. Zoe knew that he must feel guilty about it, she was a good judge of character and at the time, when she still thought vampires were emotionless and certainly held no remorse, she had grown wiser. Neil had shown her the truth, he had opened her eyes.

"What is it that you want mini Sage?" Adrian asked, referring to her as he had four years ago. He had kept the tone in his voice light and mocking, just like he had always been in Palm Springs, but the atmosphere in the room was tense and uncomfortable. "Do you want to rub it in that the Alchemists won or inform me that Sydney is dead?" He didn't seem that bothered, but maybe that was for her benefit and his own, keep up a calm facade, don't act like anything bothers you.

"I want to know if you really loved my sister!" The sentence just burst out of her mouth unwillingly. She looked at the floor, unable to meet his eyes. She heard Eddie shuffling his feet on the floor. A sign of discomfort.

"What do you mean?" His face looked tired, as if he had aged twenty years instead of just four.

"I couldn't phrase it simpler Mr. Ivashkov, it's a pretty simple question." She snapped, seriously how stupid was this man? Maybe it was just that her words took him by surprise but she really didn't have the patience to wait for him while he hummed and hawed.

"What kind of stupid question is that? I spent two whole years trying to locate her and bring her back safely, I recruited the best people to help me but we found nothing! Eddie can vouch for that! You took her away! You took away the one person who I loved and who actually loved me back away from me." Adrian shouted at her. "Of course I love her! Now if that's all you have to say I'd advise you to leave." He said coldly as he turned away, ready to leave.

"No, that is not all I have to say you rude, horrible man!" She shouted at his turned back, beginning to get rather heated herself. Zoe did not like it when people shouted at her, were impolite to her or disregarded her in anyway. Eddie just gaped at her sudden outburst.

Adrian turned around to look at her, his cheeks flushed. "Excuse me?"

"I came here to find out if you loved my sister so that I could help you! I brought her all the way here when she was supposed to be getting married all because she felt like she was suffocating and that she loved someone else, someone that she can't remember because her mind is all messed up, because she's not my sister anymore - she is just a shell of Sydney and I thought that you, you an ignorant vampire with no manners, might be able to help!" She screamed at him, her cheek turning red and her eyes watering with emotion from her little rant.

Adrian looked at her gobsmacked. "Sydney... is... here?" He choked.

"Yes, and I need you to hide her while I come up with a cover story for her unfortunate death." Zoe sniffed. "And then I hope that I don't get caught and put into re-education."

"Mini Sage, you'd do that... for me?" Adrian asked not believing his luck. After four years he was going to be reunited with Sydney, and to believe that he was going to get married and so was Sydney. Even though Zoe had caused this mess in the first place, she was solving it now. "Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!" he cried giving her a hug, not caring that she would probably scrub herself with holy water later. She patted his back awkwardly.

"Well..." Eddie shifted from foot to foot with nervous energy. "Let's go get her then."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sydney Sage was bored. Zoe had left her in the car with only the radio for entertainment and she didn't particularly like Zoe's type of music - rap, not exactly her style of music it was too angry. She left it on though, because anything was better than the silence. She fiddled around in the compartments, looking for something, anything that took her mind off being left alone in a car park that was pretty much empty. Sydney had seen busier car parks while Zoe drove around trying to find one that was pretty much vacant. At first Sydney didn't know why - her sister wasn't that anti-social, was she? But then she took a good look at the people... vampires. The voice inside her head was screaming at her, telling her to get out of here but somehow she had managed to block it out. That was the first time she had been able to do that.

Then she re-thought Zoe's words before they had left for their flight, 'reunite you with some old friends' what did that mean? Did she have friends that were vampires? No, that was impossible... but she had heard, from the rumours - nobody would actually give her a straight answer, that she had been involved with a vampire before being admitted into re-education... maybe that was why she didn't feel too bad here, she still got shivers down her spine but nothing like her first reaction should be... right. She felt almost comfortable, so who was the person that she loves? Or does love?

She continued to fumble around in the compartment near her legs. She found a little screen, like a touch phone. This could be interesting. She found the power button and switched it on. It was a GPS. She had used one of these before, somewhere. Someone had given her the numbers... in a coded letter? She got a flash of a fountain and someone's voice caressing her ear. Her someone. She immediately felt possessive. Who was this person? She grabbed at vain at the memories. She got no face just a male, soft voice.

She looked back at the GPS. She thought that she would type in Utah, just for fun. "Is Utah the location you are looking for?" A electronic voice echoed out of the machine. Sydney dropped the GPS in terror - that voice! Her breathing came out in fast bursts. She had to get out of here - now, before they came to get her and put her in re-education for a third time!

She opened the door and walked out briskly, wanting to put as much distance between her and the GPS as possible. As she shivered from the cold air, she was glad that Zoe had let her change before they had gotten onto the plane - imagine how cold she would be and how strange she would look in a wedding dress.

She had just realised that she had completely walked out of the car park and was somewhere in the vast place that the vampires referred to as 'Court'. How was she going to find Zoe? How was she going to find the man that she loved? She decided that she would know him if she saw him... hopefully.

She walked through a couple of buildings, one that looked like a church, with a group of vampires in suits and fancy dresses surrounding it, she pulled her cardigan tighter around her. It was absolutely freezing.

"Hey there!" A man walked towards her and put a hand on her shoulder. She shivered again and this time it wasn't because of the cold. "I didn't know that we had some new, hot feeders here!"

"I am not a feeder." She glared at him.

"I can make you one." She felt disgusted at his words.

"Leave me alone you idiot." She said beginning to walk away.

"Come on baby, don't be like that!" He laughed, catching her elbow and pulling her back towards him. She turned around and slapped him hard, kneeing him in the stomach while he was dazed. She had no idea where she had learned self defence but thank God that she had.

"Ugh..." he groaned in pain as he rose from the ground slowly. "You little bitch, I bet you think your smart right? Well I bet that you can't do this." He held out his palm where a fireball popped up, looking dangerous and threatening. She looked at him, knowing that she should be running away screaming, he was using magic for god's sake! He could burn her, she wasn't in power this time... or was she?

"How do you know that I can't?" She challenged, she had no idea why though. She couldn't make fireballs, she wasn't a Moroi.

"Because you are a human, and a stupid little girl at that." He laughed at her.

"Really?" She felt angry, she held out her palm and a fireball formed. She raised an eyebrow.

"What the hell?" He asked in disbelief. "H-how did you... do that?" He backed away from her. Yes... how did she do that?

"Me." A voice came from behind her. "I can't believe that you were stupid enough to think that a human could really make fireballs." Sydney turned around to face a dark haired man with icy blue eyes. She was about to protest but he shot her a look that told her to be quiet.

"Go away Ozera, don't you have better things to be doing? Like sucking someone dry?" The man laughed. Ozera, has the guy had referred to him, scowled.

"If you haven't forgotten pal, my girlfriend happens to be the Queen so I would really shut the hell up if I were you." His eyes glinted angrily. "Come on Sydney, let's go get you somewhere warm."

"O-okay." She shivered, following him. As soon as they were out of earshot, she turned on him. "Number one, how the hell do you know my name? Number two, who the hell are you? And number three, why did you pretend my fireball was yours?"

"Your Sydney Sage, I have been helping the others try and find you for the last four years without any success - do you know how hard you are to find, you have practically no records since the Palm Springs Mission. I'm Christian Ozera, we've met before, but according to Adrian, you probably don't remember us much. I was pretty sure that you didn't want to explain it to that idiot." He explained.

"Well... thanks, I guess. Who's Adrian? Who are the others?" She asked curiously.

"You're welcome." He smiled at her. "You would be surprised at how popular you actually are. You have Rose, Dimitri, Jill, Eddie, Lissa, Abe, Adrian, Marcus Finch and a few other non-vampires... and me of course." He smiled. "Adrian is... well... you should ask him that yourself - it's not really my place to. Come on, we'll see if we can find him."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"I left her in the car." Zoe explained. "So she wouldn't be freaked out by all the vampires. Which means that if she starts freaking out, for God's sake do not touch her or even talk to her. If she starts to freak out, let me do the explaining."

"Understood captain." Adrian mumbled, rolling his eyes. "That your car over there?"

"Uh huh." Zoe walked way ahead of him, so she reached the car first. And then she let out a horrified gasp.

"What?" Adrian called, jogging over.

"Sydney's gone."

Not again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bloodlines. **

**A/N: Nothing really to say except that I am so, so sorry that I haven't updated in ages, I don't even want to check how long it has been but I'm pretty soure that it was 5 weeks ago or something. I'd love to stay and chat longer on this Author's Note but as it is, I have another, like, 6 stories to update so got to dash. Love you guys :) **

Sydney really had no idea how Christian Ozera was still alive. Everyone seemed to be wary of him and stay away, others shot him glares and backed away from him angrily, and some were just downright rude and openly displayed their hatred for all to see. Still, they couldn't just attempt to dispatch him, with him being the Queen's boyfriend and all, but they had no respect for him, even though he seemed like a good guy (although a little arrogant and full of himself.)

"Here." Christian handed her a thick, furry coat. "Please don't say that you are part of one of those animal protection groups, because if so I am leaving you freeze."

"I'm not." Sydney replied briskly accepting the coat. "Do you have a problem with people looking out for animals rights?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Nope." He said, popping the p. "I just hate how they openly dodge the fact that if we didn't use animals we would all be pretty much dead. I mean, wouldn't we freeze right now if we couldn't use wool or fur?"

"Not necessarily, we just wouldn't be as comfortable." Sydney answered, smiling at how "normal" the topic was.

"True, and that's what I don't like." Christian laughed, ignoring the strange looks he received from the people passing by.

"Can I ask you something?" Sydney quipped up suddenly.

"Yeah, sure, go ahead." Christian yawned. "Anything. My best topic though is how is nice to talk to and who are just plain assholes." Sydney bit down a comment on his swearing and went ahead to ask her question.

"Why do people openly display their dislike of you?" It was probably a touchy question since his face twisted into a bitter smile. Sydney suddenly felt a jolt of fear and the urge to run. _See? I told you they were all evil. He is the most evil. So evil that the rest of his kind don't like him. _The voice was back. Shut-up, Sydney retorted, I don't think he is evil, I think he is kind.

"It's strange that you don't know, the majority of people who know about the Royal Court do." He answered, seeming a little distant.

"Maybe I did know once, not anymore though." Sydney sighed sadly. She still couldn't remember who Zoe was getting back, or who she had ruined her own wedding for. _You will never know who he is because he doesn't exist. _The voice interrupted. _Why don't you ever consider that maybe, just maybe, you never knew any of these things and it just feels like you do. _No. Sydney refused to believe that the Alchemists had just made it feel like she lost her identity. She knew that there was something more. There had to be. _Maybe, maybe not. It is typical and expected that you would think that there was something more, something special about you. Anyone else would feel the exact same in your position. _So how do these people know me, but I don't know them? As expected, she got no answer.

"Once eh? You've a lot to catch up then I guess." Christian had a bitter, icy edge in his voice. But that was just him. Whenever he was asked about his horrendous past, he just closed up. It was his defence mechanism. It hadn't been too bad before what his aunt had done. She had just proved that all his family, all the Ozera's were pretty much bad eggs. Him included, what, with his snarky ways and bad reputation. Only Lissa truly had belief in him. Even Rose and the others would hesitate before deciding, if they were honest.

Sydney bit her lip, trying to keep her tears from falling from Christian's warm-gone-frostbite-cold demeanour. How could someone be so nice one minute, if a bit sarcastic and arrogant, to just plain... inconsiderate and cruel...?

"Fine then!" She huffed. It took all her courage to say that to the fire wielding Moroi. Not that she wasn't a match for him. "If you're going to be an asshole, I'll just leave you be." She didn't normally swear but...

She stormed off, her angry steps soon turning into a run as the tears started to free fall down her face, and angry sobs ached to escape her clasped lips.

Christian felt bad, he hadn't meant to make Sydney cry, or upset. It just came out as the memories, the feelings had started to resurface, a protective shell. He didn't want to feel that pain again. He didn't want Sydney to know either. He didn't want her to run away in fear. Not that it stopped her from running away.

He watched wordlessly as she stormed off. He didn't know what to say, to do. All he knew was that he could not let the blonde disappear again. He thought back to the state that Jill and Eddie had been in after returning to Court with Adrian. _Adrian. _If nothing, Adrian had just about had a mental breakdown. Adrian had been devastated... no, worse than that. Nothing could describe the pain that Christian had seen in him. He had imagined Lissa leaving him, especially against her will, no guarantee that he would ever see her again, no guarantee that she was alive and well. He would be pretty bad too.

"Sydney!" He called, running after her. "Sydney! Come back, I'm sorry!" He followed her tracks in the snow that was beginning to fall again. "Sydney!" His calls were lost in the distance through the wind.

Sydney continued to run. There was no way that she was going back. She was going to find Zoe and get out of here, where there was no mean vampires that snapped at her when she revealed her secret to him. No vampires trying to turn her into a blood whore. No past people or things that she was supposed to remember. Nothing to get her voice itching to wreck her head. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. She wanted everything to disappear. She continued to run. She had no idea where she was going. She didn't care. She just wanted everyone to leave her alone. To leave their grasp.

She had always hated running but right now it made her feel... free. She would run for eternity if she could. There was something else that she could do for eternity but she couldn't remember what it was. Something or her past, something long gone.

Then she spotted a miracle. A small, deserted lake.

. . .

"Adrian snap out of it!" Zoe shrieked. "We don't have time to be wallowing in self pity right now, we have to find Sydney!"

"Why would she run away? How could you leave her alone." Adrian murmured to himself, rocking on the balls of his feet. "How could I get my hopes up. How could I even believe you? I should have known that you wanted to torment me. Or maybe, just maybe a bunch of Alchemists or Warriors of Light or whatever other little organisation is deluded about the truth and takes enjoyment about breaking Sydney and I apart is going to jump out and kill me. Maybe it's for the best. I don't think I have the strength to live anymore anyway."

That was it. If Adrian didn't stop with his pathetic whining and outrageous accusations, she was seriously going to pick up the metal bar that she kept in the car for self-defence and whack him across the head with it... well, he did want to die didn't he?

"Adrian, I didn't bring her with me because she is a delicate position. One look at a vampire, even you, and she would run screaming all the way to Australia or some other country that is very undesirable for creatures of the night. Now are you going to help me find my sister or not!"

Adrian felt his spirit leave him as he thought of Sydney, scared and lonely.

"Let's go."

. . .

Christian couldn't see Sydney's footprints through the thick blanket of fresh snow. She could have gone the other way for all he knew. He couldn't even tell which direction he was going in from the thick sheet of snow falling down. All he knew was that he was in a deserted, open area of the Court.

Suddenly jeers and shouts sounded all around him. A gang of people. One of them the man that he had protected Sydney from only awhile ago.

"Ozera!" He called. "We meet again!"

He was the one who started it. He swung a punch, a signal for all the others to join in. Christian didn't even have time to summon a fireball. He was attacked on every side, by fists, sticks, magic. He fell to the ground, pain everywhere. When the beatings stopped, somehow he knew because the pain had intensified.

"Why would the Queen bother with such dirt." Someone sneered, spitting on Christian. Everyone laughed and started to leave Christian on the ground.

"Sweet dreams Ozera." Someone whispered. One more blow and everything went black.

. . .

Sydney slowed down, walking towards the lake slowly. Taking in every second before she reached the water. _No! No! No! _The voice in her head screeched desperately. But the voice never did have any control over her now, did it?

Her feet touched the icy water but she didn't shrink back. She just kept on walking.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bloodlines. **

**A/N: I know, I know, I've been AWOL lately and I am very sorry. Do please accept my apology along with this long chapter that features as many point of views that I could squeeze in. **

Lissa was mad. Once again Christian had left her alone in the middle of a extremely boring meeting with whiney, self-absorbed royals. Why did he do this to her?

"So your Majesty, what do you think of my proposal?" One of the royals finished her speech... at last.

"I think that it is a grand gesture Mrs. Ivashkov, let me think over it and I shall inform you on my decision as soon as I have decided." Lissa dismissed her with a smile and a wave of the hand. She must ask Adrian for advice on how he put up with all of his family.

"Hey Lissa." Jill bounded into the room with a worried smile on her face. Lissa had made sure that Jill called her by her nickname, to seem... more sisterly and to make these meeting more comfortable.

"Hi Jill. You haven't seen Christian have you? He abandoned me before a meeting again." Lissa sighed, Christian knew that she hated meetings and yet he kept forgetting to attend.

"Umm no." Jill replied. "Actually I was wondering if you knew where Rose and Dimitri were? Are they on your service right now or are they finished for today." Jill continued to ramble on, really just repeating herself, and Lissa held up a hand to stop her.

"Jill," she smiled. "Rose and Dimitri are on my service today, why? Do you need them for something?"

"Yes actually, Adrian has gone looking for Sydney, but Sydney has disappeared and... they need help finding her..." Jill looked down at her feet. "And because Rose and Dimitri know Sydney personally I was wondering if..."

"If you could borrow them to help Adrian with the search." Lissa finished Jill's sentence for her.

"Can I?" Jill looked back up from the ground.

"Of course you can, but I thought Eddie would already be on it?" Lissa questioned.

"No, I can't find him, I think he's on fence duty today or something..." Jill's mood dampened a little. "Anyway I'm going to get Rose and Dimitri, and if I see Christian I'll tell him you're looking for him."

"Thanks Jillian." I grinned at her. She hated it when I called her that.

"Whatever your Majesty." She called playfully over her shoulder.

They were acting like sisters now. Just as they should be. Lissa smiled at that thinking back over their conversation... Wait a second, Sydney was here?

"Jill!" She called. "Jill! Come back, what do you mean Sydney is here?" Lissa was the Queen and she was still always left out of the loop...

. . .

"Sage!" Adrian called. "Sage, where are you?"

"Sydney!" Zoe called at the same time. "Sydney! It's okay, you're okay! Just please come here!"

"You know she mightn't even be here." He informed her solemnly.

"There is still a chance." Zoe dismissed him, continuing to call out her sister's name.

"Adrian! Adrian!" Somebody was calling him from the other direction. Was it Sydney? A figure appeared from the white cloud of fog, others running behind her. Jill.

"Jailbait?" He called back. "What are you doing here?"

"I saw that Sydney was missing and I brought back-up," she pointed to the people behind her, Lissa, Rose and Dimitri.

"Now tell us where you have yet to search." Dimitri said, taking charge. "We are going to find Sydney Sage!" Everyone cheered at that - even Zoe.

. . .

Nina was minding her own business, folding up her white wedding dress that she had worn earlier. Thank God that that Alchemist girl had interrupted the service or she would be unwillingly married right now.

"Nina?" A small voice came from behind the door. "Are you alright? Can I come in?" Olive.

"Of course." Nina answered her little sister, unlocking the door. She opened the door to reveal a man with a tape recorder. "Who the hell are you?" She asked. "Where is my sister?" She demanded to know. Realising that whatever happened next was not going to be good, she attempted to shut the door. BANG. And everything was gone.

. . .

Neil entered the Court nodded at his fellow dhampirs at the fence. He had received a text from Zoe, to let him know that she was here, and know he was going to surprise her. Just hopefully he didn't run into Olive or Nina - neither of the two girls liked him at the moment.

"Neil Diamond?" A voice asked in disbelief. Neil turned to face the man that had spoken.

"Eddie Castile." He grinned, that must mean that Jill was at Court, well, he had seen her on a lot of magazine covers lately.

"Long time no see, what are you doing here?" Eddie asked, his face was emotionless like most dhampir's, it was something that we had had to master at an early age.

"Uh, you know looking for someone." He answered, well, he could hardly tell him the truth now could he?

"Olive?"

"No, no, not Olive. I have a feeling if she sees me ever again that she will murder me - just for future reference incase you find my body in a river." Neil joked. Or at least he hoped it was a joke.

"Oh... who then?"

"Umm... Jill." Neil said the first name that popped into his head.

"Jill?" Eddie asked confused. "Why would you be looking for Jill?"

"Umm... I wanted to ask her how... Adrian was doing! You know, because I don't think he'll... uh... talk to me?" Please make Eddie buy the lie.

"You're looking for Zoe Sage aren't you." Eddie gave me a look.

"No!" Neil denied.

"How dense do you think I am? Of course you're looking for Zoe. Everyone wants to kill her right now, so you don't have to." He gave me a smile. "But I think Adrian will put up with her because she's helping him with Sydney or something." Neil balled his fists up. No wonder she texted him if apparently everyone wanted her dead.

"You don't have to be so harsh you know!" He shouted at Eddie. "Do you ever think that maybe she might be the victim in all of this?" And with that Neil stormed off, leaving Eddie as confused as ever.

. . .

Rose clutched Dimitri's hand anxiously. "What if we don't find her?" She whispered. Rose really cared for Adrian and Sydney, she really hoped that they would find Sydney before anything bad happened.

"We will Roza, or course we will." Dimitri brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it gently. "You should have brought gloves."

"You didn't bring any gloves." She pouted, now regretting her mistake. She could do with a woolly hat and scarf too. What if a Stirgori jumped out at them? How was she to stab him with a stake if her face was numb with the cold? Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

"Actually Roza, I do." He pulled a pair of black gloves out of pocket. Even in the dead of winter he insisted on wearing that duster...

"W-what? And you didn't think to tell me to pick up some?" She folded her arms across her chest and gave him a mocking glare.

"I actually brought them for you..." Dimitri smiled, unlocking her arms and handing her the gloves. "I don't like gloves, they... confine my hands."

Rose just laughed and gave him a hug. "C'mon Dinka, let's go and find that rogue Alchemist!"

. . .

It was cold, oh so cold, but still Sydney did not shrink back. The water was up to her knees now, soaking her jeans.

It was painful, oh so very painful, because no matter how much she tried she couldn't remember anything about him except the flash of a beautiful fountain and a soft voice.

The water was now up to her thighs. Soon her legs would numb. She was nearing her end, her death, and still there were no answers coming to her. It was not like she had hoped. She had wanted to die knowing absolutely everything. That was not the case.

_Sydney! Stop this madness right now! _The voice roared inside her head. She simply ignored it. _Sydney! Stop this now! As soon as it is done, there is no going back! _Funny, that is what she kind of hoped would happen. _Sydney! Stop it! Stop it and live! This is utter madness, what about Zoe! Don't forget about Zoe! _The voice pleaded with her. Weird, she thought that the voice would be happy to see her dead. But she hesitated when she thought about Zoe.

The water was up to her hips.

No, Zoe would be okay. Sydney decided, she had her whole life ahead of her, she had Carly and mom and dad.

"Sydney! Is that you!" A voice screamed from behind her. "Sydney! Don't move! I'll come and get you."

That voice seemed so familiar, that voice brought back some pretty strong emotions, that voice, that voice, that voice... was him! She went to turn around, but her legs were numb and useless with the cold. She let out a small, useless scream as she felt herself falling to the bottom of the pool. NO! Not when she had just found him! Not when she was just about to get answers!

She reached the bottom of the pool and struggled uselessly to get back up to the top of the lake but no, nothing was ever that easy. Her arms were frozen and wouldn't move. Her lungs were starting to burn and there were dark spots obscuring her vision. Her eyes were burning from the icy cold water too, so she closed them.

God, what an awful way to die, Sydney thought bitterly. I think the voice and I can agreed on that. I'm going to die from hypothermia and drowning just as I was about to see the man I was looking for, and I don't even know his name...

It was bittersweet, but she should have expected an ending like this. Was she even worthy of anything more?

There was a massive ripple through the water, or maybe that was just her body giving its last breath.

_His name is Adrian._ The voice said, speaking its last words to her. _I'm sorry that this is the end. _Me too, Sydney answered before giving into the darkness. Me too.

. . .

Sydney felt someone pressing into her chest hard.

"Why isn't her heart beating? Why won't it start beating?" She heard someone distantly freak out.

"Harder Adrian! You have to revive her, you have to!" A female voice cried out.

"You don't think that I don't know that Zoe!" The man, Adrian yelled frustrated. "But she is so thin that if I press any harder I'll break her ribs!"

"Can't you use spirit magic to bring her back?" The girl cried.

"She was gone too long to be brought back by spirit by the time I brought her to the surface." The man's voice choked up.

"You can't give up on me now Sage! It's not fair!" He screamed, pressing down hard on my chest with every word.

The words he spoke started to get a little bit clearer with every second until... Sydney could feel herself choking and gasping for air, throwing up water.

"Sydney! Sydney!" She heard someone scream and drag her over into their arms. "You're okay, you're okay." He sobbed in her hair, relieved. She was alive.

"C-centrum permanebit..." Sydney whispered, just loud enough so that he could hear.

"Adrian, we have to get her somewhere warm before she get hypothermia!" Someone screeched. And then she felt herself being lifted.

. . .

Lissa was walking around trying to find Sydney, she still couldn't believe that , after all this time, Sydney had made it back into their lives after four years of being missing.

"Sydney? Sydney?" There were two dhampir guards behind her, even though she had insisted that she didn't need them, and they were silently scanning the area. She had given them a brief description of Sydney and they were actually being very helpful. She wouldn't admit it, but she felt very safe with them around - Christian had gone missing and wasn't answering his phone, and without him she felt very vulnerable - not that she would ever tell him that of course.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she took it out. A text message from Jill. She opened it. _We found her in the lake. She is alive. Zoe is trying to warm her up. _

Lissa turned back to the men behind her. "They found her on the other side of Court." She informed them. "Thank-you very much for your help." She smiled gratefully at them. "Let's head back there and get you two warmed up."

"Wait, what's that!" One of them cried, James, she thinks his name is.

"What's what?" The other, Thomas, asked, scanning the area. "Oh shit."

"What?" Lissa cried, looking around, she couldn't see anything except white, white, pink, white... pink?

"Someone's hurt!" She cried, recognising the pink as blood. "Badly - they must have lost a lot of blood!" She ran over, getting a head start towards the fallen body. Still though, the dhampirs raced ahead of her and reached the body first. They froze as they got nearer.

"What are you doing?" Lissa screamed at them as she was coming up behind them. "He or she could be seriously hurt! Move out of the way!"

"Your Majesty, with all due respect, I don't think that you should see this. Why don't you call for some help and we'll do what we can - it's not like you can actually help with your powers cut off." James stumbled over his words.

Lissa bit back a gasp at his sharp words - and his courage to order around his queen.

"James, I have seen much worse, I assure you - my eyes aren't at all new to bloodshed, now move out of my way and call someone." She tossed her phone into Thomas' hands. When neither of them budged, she continued: "That was an order!" With this they didn't have a choice but to move aside and what she saw nearly caused her to fall back in shock.

"Christian!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bloodlines. **

"Christian!" Lissa screamed at her boyfriend's body, which was lying on the snow covered ground, coated in red blood. Whoever did this to him, well she would find them and they would regret it.

James grabbed me, wrapping his arms around her, and all Lissa could do was moan out Christian's name. Why did she have to be on stupid antidepressants! She should be beside him, healing him right now... that's if he wasn't already dead.

Her body shook with anger and sadness. "Tell them to hurry!" She screamed at Thomas, who was on the phone. "Check for a pulse." She told James weakly. He nodded and let her go, she fell to her knees without the support.

"Is he... is he alive?" She dared to ask, holding her breath.

"Yes, his pulse is weak but he's alive." James answered. Lissa felt like throwing up. She knew that Christian wasn't liked that much throughout the Court, but who would dare to do this? To the Queen's boyfriend no less.

"Are they coming?" She asked Thomas, sobbing into her hands. She had to cry, she couldn't keep it in.

"They are on their way." He answered.

"G-good." She replied, taking shaky breaths, tears streaming down her face. She crawled over to Christian, and she knew that she must have looked pathetic but she didn't care. All she cared about was Christian.

. . .

"Out of my way! Out of my way!" Adrian roared pushing through the crowd of people, Sydney in his arms. She was shivering and he wasn't sure if she was conscious or not. All he knew was that he had to get her somewhere warm and that if mini Sage did not stop shouting commands that he already knew from behind him that she would probably end up with a broken nose.

"Hurry Adrian! Hurry!" Zoe urged him on, Jill at her side, Adrian lost in the sea of people. "Jill!" She called over to the Moroi girl beside her. "Where has he gone." Jill was taller, maybe she had seen.

"I think he's gone to his house!" Jill shouted back at her. "Come on!"

It was times like this that Adrian wished that he was a fire user, maybe then he'd had some way to ensure that Sydney was warm. Right now, all she had was his jacket and chest. He didn't really had a plan except: get to his house, get blankets, blast heating, call doctor. It wasn't a bad plan, or so he hoped.

"Why is he going into his house!" Zoe screamed, running with Jill, trying to catch up to Adrian. "Shouldn't he be going to a hospital!"

"I don't know!" Jill roared back. "Get out of my way!" She yelled to the people in front of her. They should be listening to her seeing that she was a princess but they chose to ignore her.

Zoe let out a screech as she ran headfirst into someone. "Get out of way!" She cried. "Jill! Adrian!" She yelped as the vampire grabbed her hand.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked in a British accent.

"Neil? You came!" Zoe asked looking up for the first time, her eyes shining. But she snapped out of it pretty quickly. "We have to go to Adrian Ivashkov's house! He has Sydney and she's hurt!" She cried, grabbing the Dhampir's hand. "Come on! Faster!"

. . .

Olive walked to her sister's house. She had arrived earlier and knocked on the door and asked if she was okay but there had been no answer. Now she was going to try again.

Her sister had been engaged to the gorgeous Adrian Ivashkov, and even though she didn't love him anymore than a friend, she had agreed to his proposal - not willing for him to be hurt anymore than he already was over his ex. Today had been her wedding day, and even if she didn't love him, getting dumped at the altar must have been pretty rough.

She arrived just outside the door and knocked softly on it. The door creaked open. "Nina?" She called.

She pushed the door open fully, and a scream escaped her mouth. There was her sister, lying on the floor, with a bullet wound through her head.

. . .

Lissa stood traumatised as the paramedics picked up Christian and placed him on a stretcher. They wouldn't allow her in ambulance and all she could do was stare into the snow as the flashing lights interfered with her sight. Was Christian going to be okay? She didn't know. She couldn't speak to ask, she could look to see. She was paralysed, rooted to the spot.

She had seen worse things, much, much worse things, but to her, this seemed like the most horrible. The one that she would do anything for to make it a nightmare and not reality.

"Your Majesty?" Someone came up beside her. Probably James. "Do you need some help?"

"C-can you call Rose Hathaway?" Lissa asked emotionlessly.

"Of course, would you like me to escort you back to the hospital?" Lissa shook her head. She didn't want to just yet. She wanted to wake up.

. . .

"Lissa!" Rose ran at top speed towards her friend. Lissa was lying on the snow, curled up in a ball.

"What are you doing, just standing there?!" She screamed to the guard that stood beside her. "She's a spirit user on antidepressants who happens to be the Queen, lying on the snow!" Rose roared at him. "Get out of the way you idiot!"

"R-rose." Lissa's voice quivered from the ground.

"Get up Lissa." Rose told her, tough love was what was needed here and that was what she was going to get.

"I c-can't." Lissa sobbed.

"Lissa, you have to go to Christian, lying here isn't going to change anything." Rose whispered, pulling Lissa into a sitting position.

"I c-can't." Lissa repeated. "I just want to wake up from this horrible nightmare."

"Lissa this is not a nightmare." Rose informed her. "I wish I could tell you that it was but it isn't."

"Prove it." Lissa scowled. Rose slapped her across the face. James sprung on her, pushing her away.

"Get off me!" Rose screeched, pushing James off her and kicking him in the stomach. He was about to come charging back at her but Lissa stopped him.

"I-It's alright, you can go. Thank you for all your help."

"Are you sure?" James asked, eyeing Rose suspiciously.

"Yes." Lissa confirmed, her eyes on Rose. As soon as James was out of sight, Rose continued to talk.

"Prove enough for you?" Lissa just glared at her.

"You didn't have to slap me you know."

"I did, you were having a meltdown back there. Now I have to take you to the hospital. Christian will need a nurse when he wakes up you know." Rose teased.

"But what if-"

"But nothing." Rose cut Lissa off. "Christian needs you."

"Rose..." Lissa whimpered, her change in tone so sudden that Rose's heart seemed to release all the anger it had formerly had.

"What Lissa?" She answered softly.

"Rose!" Lissa gasped, clutching her stomach and leaning over.

"Lissa!" Rose was by her side in a flash. "Lissa! What's wrong!"

"I'm going to stand up," Lissa choked. "And I need you to tell me if I'm... if I'm bleeding..." Lissa clutched Rose's hand and hauled herself up.

"Liss..." Rose sighed.

"Am I bleeding?" Lissa asked, closing her eyes.

"Yes."

"Absolutely wonderful." Lissa growled. "I definitely have to get to a hospital now."

"Lissa, I'm so sorry..." Rose began.

"It doesn't matter Rose, Christian didn't know anyway - I don't even know if he wanted the baby."

"Lissa..."

"It doesn't matter!" Lissa screamed at her. I just want to go see Christian, can I lean on you or what?"

"Of course." Rose said, grabbing her arm.

"I would have made you the godmother you know..." Lissa whispered. "You would have been his or hers favourite aunt."

"I know..." Rose whispered. "I know..."

. . .

"Jill get more blankets! Neil get a doctor!" Adrian roared, directing orders everywhere. "Wait Neil? What are you- do you know what? It doesn't matter. Doctor. Now. Zoe, heating box, near front door. Go!"

"Sydney." Adrian whispered. "Stay with me - leave me again and there will be dire consequences. Example, seeing into my mind twenty four seven.

"The doctor is coming!" Neil called from the other side of the room.

"Great."

"Blankets!" Jill manoeuvred through the room with a massive pile of blankets.

"Brilliant."

"Heating on full blast!" Zoe roared from outside the room.

"Thank-you."

"Still alive." Sydney whispered, her lips blue.

"Excellent."

Wait what?

"You could speak all this time? Sheesh Sage, way to let me know you're alive..." Adrian grumbled, placing blanket upon blanket over her.

"You might want to take the wet things off her first Adrian." Zoe reminded him.

"Right, I forgot that." He heard Sydney coughing, and she started shivering again. "You might want to do that Zoe, like you said, I don't if she's entirely comfortable with me again yet." Zoe nodded her head and Adrian walked out of the room to the front door, waiting for the doctor. Please let Sydney be okay, he thought. Don't make me lose her again.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bloodlines. **

**A/N: Free cookies to anyone who can spot the Blind Side 2009 reference in here. **

Sydney was now lying in one of Adrian's T-shirts, that was absolutely enormous on her and wrapped in many soft, fluffy blankets. She was still slightly cold, but much warmer than she had been ten minutes ago.

She thought back to when she was in the lake, how she had nearly died. She really had no idea what had compelled her to walk into the lake, and the fear... the fear she had gotten when she realised that _he _was behind her and she had fallen. But he had saved her, brought her back to life, and now, now he was taken care of her. And although she still couldn't remember much, and she had only caught the glimpse of dark hair and bright green eyes, she knew that it was him. And his name was Adrian...

. . .

Olive was kneeling on the ground, crying over her sister's body when the guardians came. They almost looked at her sympathetically, almost broke their masks, but never the less dragged the sobbing girl away from the lifeless corpse.

"Ms. Sinclair, could you please come with us for questioning?" Guardian Hanley asked her, putting a hand gently on her shoulder. The girl nodded, tears streaming down her face.

She gave one more glance at her sister's body, which was now being placed in a black body bag, and turned around, ready to be escorted to the investigating rooms.

. . .

"Are you okay?" Neil asked, grabbing Zoe's wrist and pulling her into the kitchen.

"Yes... well no, but that's kind of obvious since my sister just tried to kill herself." Zoe answered, casting her eyes to the ground.

"I heard from Eddie that no-one around here was treating you well." Neil stated, searching for a spark of emotion in Zoe's face.

"They didn't trust me, they thought I was playing them." Zoe said, looking up at Neil. "I can't blame them after all I've done."

"What you did wasn't your fault Zoe, you thought that you were doing the right thing at the time. You had no idea that you were being manipulated." Neil told her angrily. "And they should know that from Sydney." Zoe stayed quiet.

"How are you holding up anyway? Don't act like you're still not nervous around such a big group of us." He asked, worry evident in his tone.

"I'm okay, better now that you are here." Zoe answered, rubbing her arms nervously. "I was more scared of the fact that Adrian and the others wanting to kill me than someone trying to drink my blood."

"Adrian wanted to do what?" Neil asked angrily. "I'm going to go in there and give him a piece of my mind." Neil began to storm off in the direction of the sitting room, where Adrian was crooning over a sleeping Sydney.

"No. Don't!" Zoe protested. "You'll make things worse, besides then they'll know about us!" Neil raised an eyebrow, but stopped walking.

"Don't you want them to know Zoe? It's not like they haven't begun to guess after I showed up here looking for you."

"Can't I just have you all to myself?" Zoe pouted. "With no-one telling me how wrong it is, and no-one telling you to get rid of me?"

"Come here." Neil held out his arms, and Zoe stepped into them. He folded his arms around her. "I guess you're right." He muttered.

"Huh? What was that?" She grinned.

"I'm not going to repeat them." He grimaced. "It was an one time only special."

"And how to those words taste in your mouth?" She teased him.

"Like vinegar..."

. . .

As soon as Rose had gotten Lissa somewhat near a hospital, she had Dimitri on the phone. "Hospital, now!" She snapped, hanging up on him rather rudely. Not that he really minded, he was used to it by now, still she'd have an apology and a make-up kiss waiting for him afterwards.

"Ugh!" Lissa groaned clutching her stomach, she had been like this for the last fifteen minutes. Refusing to let Rose call an ambulance and also refusing to let Rose carry her. Rose felt bad, as much as she had been jealous of the fact that Lissa could have kids, she would never wish this on her best friend.

They were another ten minute walk from the hospital, but at this rate it would be more like twenty. Lissa was in pain, and she kept having to stop to compose herself and catch her breath. Rose was getting impatient, she had been full sure that Lissa still had a chance of keeping the baby - there hadn't been that much blood - but it seemed to be getting worse by the minute.

"Okay Lissa," Rose said. "We can't keep going like this." Lissa looked at her warily. "So I have come up with a solution!" She announced, trying to keep her voice cheerful. "I'm going to go against your orders Your Majesty, and do this!" Rose scooped Lissa up quickly. And began to walk as fast as she could. At first Lissa tried to resist, but when she realised that there was no way that Rose was putting her down, she stopped.

It'll be okay, Rose thought. It has to be okay.

. . .

"Everything's going to be alright." Adrian whispered in Sydney's ear. She was sound asleep, her breathing slightly heavy, her face peaceful. The doctor had come and gone, announcing that they had done a good job and Sydney should be okay in a couple of days, provided that she got enough rest, food and water. He come to check up on her tomorrow evening, and then he had walked out the door. Adrian was relived, nothing serious. That didn't mean that he checked her pulse every few minutes and pressed a hand against her forehead regularly to check her temperature.

He was actually just about to doze off himself, his body on the ground beside the ground, his hand loosely held by Sydney's, who was lying on the couch, when the front door flung open with a bang. Adrian was sitting up, wide awake, faster than you could say: What the Hell?

At first he thought it was the Alchemists, coming to claim Sydney back off him, but his worries were put to rest when his mother's high-pitched voice greeted him. Well, some of his worries.

"Adrian! Adrian, dearest!" Lady Ivashkov called. "Where are you!" Instead she was met with a dhampir guardian, one of which she had never seen before. "Oh, who are you?" She asked curiously.

"Guardian Neil Raymond, ma'am." His accent was slightly English and he was well-mannered too.

"Do you happen to know where my son is?" She asked.

"The sitting room, I think." Neil told her.

"Neil? Where are you?" And then Zoe entered the room. She looked at Daniella coolly for a second and then averted her gaze to Neil, but before she could speak, words were already leaving Daniella's mouth.

"So you are the little brat that ruined my son's wedding!" She sneered. "An Alchemist at that. Why don't you just leave and stop poking your nose in everyone's business for a little while, before someone, let's say, sucks you dry of all your blood." Lady Ivashkov growled, showing off her fangs.

Zoe shivered on the inside, but on the outside, she didn't let it show. "Excuse me Mrs. Ivashkov but as far as I could see your son seemed quite willing to leave poor Ms. Sinclair at the altar. I believe he was forced into the marriage by, I don't know, maybe his mother? And if you don't want any human's to find out what you are, I suggest you keep your mouth shut." She hissed.

All Neil could think of was: bitch fight.

"How dare you speak to me like that, you dirty bloodwhore!" Lady Daniella screeched. "You are nothing but human filth!"

"Don't you dare speak to my girlfriend like that." Neil told her dangerously. "Please calm down or leave." Only when he realised that the two women were staring at him horrified, did he realise his mistake. "I didn't mean that, I meant..." but it was too late the damage was already done. Jill and Adrian stood at the sitting room door, mouths open. Adrian slightly less shocked than Jill, but shocked none the less. What had Neil done?

. . .

Right now Lissa was lying in a hospital bed, an IV attached to her arm, and waiting impatiently for a doctor to come and see to her. Even being the queen didn't get you faster service around here, but why should it? There were people in much more serious conditions that needed treated around here. But in saying that, that did not mean in any way that Lissa thought that her baby's life wasn't important. It was just that she needed to take her mind off the worry and depression that she felt, and the fact that she had given up on the fact that her baby had any chance of surviving. Too much pain, too much blood. But that's what she got for being happy, for being so excited and not waiting until she could tell Christian. She had planned it all so carefully. On Christmas day, in two and a half weeks time...

But now she was trying not to wallow in despair as she lay awkwardly in the gurney, waiting for a doctor or nurse to see to her, while waiting for news on Christian - who she couldn't see because she was confined to a hospital bed, and Rose, who had been with her all along, was now outside trying to find someone to help, using the 'she's the Queen' card.

She had never felt so alone in all her life and the only thing that was keeping her from hoping that this was all just a nightmare, was the sharp stabs of pain shooting through her stomach.

Rose entered the room, her face red, her hair messy and a look of sadness on her face. "Someone will be coming soon Lissa, give them a few minutes. They gave in after I told them that you were the Queen only about a million times and I threatened to punch one of the doctor's in the face." She smiled innocently.

"Rose," Lissa sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you, don't go around threatening to punch people, or hurt them, or stab them with stakes." Lissa gave Rose a light, playful glare. Shame she wasn't really feeling in such a carefree mood as she was letting on.

"Excuse me, is this Ms. Dragomir's room?" A female doctor entered the room.

"Yes, and it's Queen Dragomir to you." Rose snapped. "It took you long enough." Lissa glared at Rose from across the room.

"Don't mind her Doctor...?

"Avery," the women supplied.

"Don't mind her Doctor Avery, she's just in a bad mood as usual, that's all." She grinned at Rose as she stuck her tongue out at Lissa. "You can just call me Lissa, it's easier."

"Okay Lissa," Doctor Avery gave a small smile, ignoring the fact that Rose was pulling faces at her from behind her back. "Guardian Hathaway, if you aren't going to behave properly, I suggest you wait outside."

"Just go Rose." Lissa sighed as Rose began to protest.

"Are you sure?" Rose asked, pleading with Lissa by her eyes. "I can stay if you want."

"Just go." Lissa repeated. "Dimitri's probably outside looking for you, wondering what's happened. You didn't give him much of an explanation you know, he must be going out of his mind thinking that something bad has happened to you." Lissa reassured her.

"Oh, okay..." Rose mumbled, stepping outside. "I'll be back really soon Liss..."

"Okay Lissa, how far along are you in your pregnancy?" She asked.

"About eleven weeks."

"Okay now, where is the pain?" Doctor Avery asked.

"Stomach." Lissa whispered lifelessly, not bothering to keep up the act now that Rose was gone. Doctor Avery just gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Abdomen?" She asked.

"I guess so." Lissa answered. The doctor pressed her hand to the area, applying pressure. Lissa left out a gasp of pain.

"Sorry," Doctor Avery apologised. "I'm going to set up an ultrasound test now, to confirm that it is a miscarriage."

"Okay." Lissa lay down as the doctor pulled up her top, covering her slightly swollen stomach with a cold jelly-like substance and pushing around her monitor. Lissa closed her eyes and listened. No heartbeat. Not even a small, faint one. A tear slid down her eye. She was just about to sit up and shrug off the doctor's hand when she heard it. The baby's heartbeat. A


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bloodlines.**

**A/N: Thanks to guest (rainy) for her really nice review. I hated not being able to reply. I love this prospect of Neil, I'm still hoping that Richelle Mead will make Neil / Zoe happen. *cross fingers***

"Girlfriend, eh?" Adrian broke the awkward silence first. "I should have guessed it seeing that Neil came over here, and he's hardly buddies with the rest of us." Zoe's cheeks flushed at Adrian's comment.

"Yeah, me too..." Jill mumbled. "You seemed so happy to see him in the crowd."

"A dhampir and a human... together? An Alchemist at that?" Poor Daniella seemed to be so confused that Neil almost, just almost, had sympathy for her.

"Come on mother, let's get you sitting down and something to drink." Adrian said, leading his mother to the sitting room, shooting Neil and Zoe a curious look. But Adrian had obviously forgotten that Sydney was on the couch, asleep.

"Adrian!" Daniella screeched at her son. "Why is there an Alchemist asleep on your couch!"

"Oh... yeah..." Adrian went lightly red. "Umm... she's asleep so... let me just take her upstairs... and I'll... ahh... explain." He scooped Sydney up, her letting out a low groan of displeasure, and disappeared out of the sitting room and up the stairs into his room.

It was a big, comfortable room. The walls cvered with paintings of gold eyes, little dragons with gold eyes also, and golden lilies with auras of purple and yellow. Sydney was still asleep and Adrian wondered what her reaction would be when she woke up in a room covered with paintings inspired by her. Would she remember some more?

He shook with head of the thought and set Sydney down on the silk sheets, covering her with a thick duvet, removing most of the blankets so she didn't overheat. He sat down beside her, watching her frail chest rise and fall. He must get her eating again, she didn't look right, now this skinny and emaciated looking.

He stroked her warm forehead gently. "I'll be back soon Sage," he whispered. "I've got to deal with mom first. I love you, just remember that, and I am so, so grateful that you are back in my life. Please be here when I get back, please don't be all some silly concoction of my mind or a dream." He pleaded, his eyes watering. "Stay." And he leaned over to kiss her forehead and walked back downstairs, leaving Sydney in her peaceful, tranquil sleep.

. . .

"Is that a..." Lissa couldn't finish her sentence, her throat was choked up with emotion. She couldn't believe it, it was almost too good to be true.

"I think so." Doctor Avery smiled. "Your baby seems to be doing just fine, I think that this is just a threatened miscarriage. Of course your baby seems a little weak, but that is only to be expected." Lissa just beamed at her, her worries for the baby almost melting away. "I recommend no sexual or excessive physical activity. Try to lower the stress, eat right, folic acid, calcium, you know the basics, but mainly, take it easy." But Lissa's heart froze for a moment.

"Christian..." she whispered. In all the excitement of what had just happened, she had completely forgotten about her boyfriend.

"What?" Doctor Avery asked Lissa as Lissa began to cry.

"Christian, he's hurt. He should be in here somewhere... I need to see him!" Lissa's voice got higher and more strangled with every word. So much for no stressing out.

"Calm down." Doctor Avery was over to her in a heartbeat. Her cool hands on her shoulders, facing Lissa directly. "Breathe, in and out, deep breaths." She told the distressed girl.

"C-Christian is in h-here somewhere." Lissa gasped. "I need t-to see him."

"I can go see in I can find Mr. Ozera." Doctor Avery told her. "He's probably waiting with Guardian Hathaway."

"N-no." Lissa shook her head, blonde curls bouncing. "You don't understand. Christian has been injured - badly. H-he was brought in here b-before me."

Doctor Avery sighed. Poor girl, hasn't she gone through enough?

"Okay, you stay here and rest - try not to stress out, and I'll send Guardian Hathaway into you and see if I can track down Mr. Ozera in the wards." She said exiting the room.

Moments later, Rose bounced in, Dimitri behind her.

"So I heard the baby is okay?"

. . .

Olive was sitting down, alone in the empty, stark investigating room. She had no idea why she was in here and she had no idea why it was called the investigating room. It seemed to be more of an interrogating room or a frightening room. Maybe a torture room if it weren't so empty.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, someone entered the room. Before that it had only been her and her tears.

"Hello Ms. Sinclair." It was Guardian Hanley. "We'd like to ask you a few questions if that is okay with you?" Olive just wiped her eyes delicately with her sleeve and nodded.

"First of all, where were you at the time of Nina Sinclair's death?" Olive shrugged. "I don't know," she sniffed. "What time did she die? I'm guessing between after the wedding and before I found her?"

Guardian Hanley gave her a unexpected glare. "What time do you think she died?"

"I just told you." Olive snapped at the Guardian, losing her cool. "For God's sake how am I supposed to know?"

"Ms. Sinclair, please sit down." Guardian Hanley told her frostily. Olive realised that, with a start, she had stood up out of her seat and was clutching the table tightly.

"Sorry..." Olive murmured. "You were saying?"

"Next question," Guardian Hanley said as she scribbled down some notes that Olive couldn't see. Probably something like: Mentally Unstable Psycho underlined and in capitals, Olive thought glumly. "When was the last time you saw your sister?"

"When she got dumped at the altar." Olive answered bitterly. "That jerk didn't even have enough good will to tell her that he didn't want to marry her before the ceremony. He could have left her with some dignity at least, so she wouldn't have to leave..."

"Leave?"

"Yeah, Adrian... I mean Mr. Ivashkov gave her the honeymoon plane tickets and money. She was going to go there so that she could get away from the humiliation at Court for a little while. I think she was bringing one of her friends from the other side of town, meeting her at the airport. Actually you should probably call her and let her know -" Guardian Hanley held up an impatient hand to stop Olive.

"We'll have it done. Her name?"

"Mia Rinaldi."

. . .

Adrian went down the stairs and re-entered the sitting room to where Neil and Zoe were standing awkwardly in one corner of the room, they were holding hands but Zoe was whispering to Neil with a slight glare on her face. Probably berating him about letting their secret slip, Adrian thought. Maybe that's why she helped him get Sage back. She understood now. Jill was sitting beside his mother and she was looking at Adrian desperately, probably because Lady Ivashkov had somehow forced the princess into fanning her with a booklet of some sort.

"Adrian darling!" Lady Ivashkov jumped up, knocking poor Jill out of her way. "Can you please explain to me what is going on!"

"Umm..." Adrian struggled to begin, but it didn't matter, Lady Ivashkov continued on.

"I mean, first of all, who is that Alchemist girl sleeping on your couch? You aren't sleeping with random girls are you? Especially not human ones?" Adrian once again didn't answer but Lady Ivashkov didn't seem to mind, she just continued on. "And did you know about these disgusting antics those two have been doing under your roof? It's a horrendous taboo, it is. Sickening. A human and a dhampir ! It's awful!"

"Mother," Adrian replied, trying to keep his cool. "Calm down."

"Calm down! Don't you tell me to calm down Adrian Ivashkov! Why are those creatures still in your house! They should be locked away! It is a taboo!" Lady Ivashkov screamed hysterically, and Adrian just lost it.

"Well you know that Alchemist upstairs?" He asked hotly. "She's my girlfriend. How's that for a taboo?"

Lady Ivashkov let out a strangled noise, grabbed her bag and swiftly made her way to the front door.

"Mother!" Adrian called out, not wanted there to be anymore bad blood between them, feeling guilty after his little temper.

"I'm ashamed of you Adrian." She hissed, tears filling her eyes, and left the house.

Tears filled Adrian's own eyes. First his dad, now his mom.

"Adrian..." Jill whispered as Neil and Zoe stood silently in the corner, they had stopped arguing now.

"Leave it." Adrian replied harshly. "I'm going up to check on Sage."

. . .

"Do you think she's going to be okay Dinka?" Rose asked, resting her head on Dimitri's chest.

"I hope so Roza, but she's been through a lot in the last few hours..." Dimitri answered.

They were waiting outside, as Lissa had asked them to, while Doctor Avery was inside explaining Christian's situation to Lissa. Rose hoped that he was okay, for Lissa and the baby's sake. If not the fact that she might, just might, miss him if he were gone. But only because he was so fun to tease, it wasn't like she... let's say, liked him in anyway. Oh no, she hated Sparky.

Doctor Avery left the room, and motioned for Rose and Dimitri to enter with a sad smile on her face. When they walked in they expected tears and sobs, but Lissa was just sitting there like a statue. Rose thought she was dead for a minute.

"Lissa...?" She asked, almost scared to touch her friend. "Liss, snap out of it."

"He's in surgery," Lissa answered dazed. "He's in surgery... He's in surgery," she repeated. "For his brain and internal bleeding." Tears streamed down Lissa's face. "He's in surgery!" She roared. "And whoever did this," she went on shakily. "I'll find them."

"We'll help Lissa," Dimitri comforted while Rose stroked Lissa's forehead. "And we will bring them to justice and let them rot in jail."

"Are you okay Lissa?" Rose asked, her voice gentle. "Is there anything you need, pyjamas or something?"

"No," Lissa shook her head. "They are leaving me out in a few hours, providing I come for regular check-ups and rest myself." Lissa said bitterly. "And then I'm going to see if Christian is out of surgery. If he isn't I'm going to get a bite to eat and have a shower." Rose relaxed a little, happy that her friend was thinking sensibly for her health and the baby's. "And then I'll come right back here and wait for updates."

"Lissa," Dimitri started, but Rose finished his sentence.

"You are supposed to be resting!" She shrieked.

"I'll get enough rest by sitting in a chair won't I?" Lissa replied.

"You'll stress yourself out!" Rose protested. "What about the baby!"

"The baby will be fine." But Lissa wasn't too sure. "And it's not like I won't be stressing out at home. At least if I'm at the hospital, I'll know his progress."

"Well then, I'm staying with you!" Rose insisted, ignoring Dimitri's look.

"I'd like that." Lissa replied.

"Well I don't care, I'm staying with you whether you like it or not! Wait... what?"

"I said," Lissa repeated, rolling her eyes. "That I'd like if you'd stay with me."

"Okay, cool." Rose replied uncertainly. "I think this baby is making you soft, this is the first time I've never had to fight you for something." Rose tried to joke.

Lissa just rolled her eyes while Dimitri left out a small laugh.

. . .

Adrian walked up the stairs desolately. His own mother was ashamed of him. He was used to his dad being ashamed, but his mom... It was awful.

He entered his room, where Sydney was still sleeping soundly. She must be really tired, Adrian thought. He sat on the side of the bed and looked at his lap.

"I never thought she'd hate me Sage," he whispered. "But she does, my mom I mean. I'm well used to my dad hating me, but mom..." he trailed off and looked at Sydney.

"Sage...?" He crawled nearer to her. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly and her cheeks were bright red and looked swollen. She looked sweaty and Adrian was beside her now. He pressed the back of his hand against her forehead. She was burning up with a high fever. His own breathing got caught in his chest. His heart beating so hard, he thought it would burst. He threw the blankets off her and picked her up, her clothes damp with sweat. He walked as fast as he could down the stairs, being careful not to drop her and into the sitting room.

"Someone call an ambulance, NOW!"


	10. Chapter 10

Olive looked at Guardian Hanley as she re-entered the room. She had been gone a good hour or so. She sat down at the table and handed Olive a ham and cheese sandwich and a cup of tea.

"Thanks..." Olive murmured, unwrapping the sandwich. "Did you call Mia?"

"Yes, she's coming to Court as soon as she can." Guardian Hanley did not offer any more information and Olive still had no idea why she was being questioned like a suspect in this case. She had walked to her sisters apartment, opened the door, found her sister dead, called the Guardians and cried, begging for her sister to wake up. How does that make her a suspect?

"Are you going to let me go now?" Olive asked bored. "Because I really do not see the point in this."

"I'm only looking for answers Ms. Sinclair." Guardian Hanley replied coolly.

"What answers can I possibly give you!" Olive cried. "I told you! I found my sister and called the Guardians! What else could I have possibly done? Why am I even here?"

"Because," Guardian Hanley started. Olive sat up straighter, was she finally going to get some answers? "The security camera was covered but as you know, or maybe you don't, there is now a sound sensor. And when we listened to the tape, your voice was heard before the shooting, knocking on your sister's apartment."

. . .

Lissa had been true to her word, she had gone home and showered and had something to eat, while Rose stayed at the hospital, Lissa on speedial. Dimitri had accompanied Lissa home.

Lissa had stepped out of the shower, a pair of jeans and a soft jumper on. She rummaged around the presses and grabbed a loaf of bread and cheese.

"What are you doing?" Dimitri asked Lissa confused.

"Making a sandwich, what does it look like?" Lissa answered rolling her eyes. Dimitri thought that Lissa was sending way too much time with Rose.

"For?"

"To eat on the way to the hospital of course." Lissa whirled around pointing the butter knife at him. "Because if you think that I'm staying in bed while-"

"I don't," Dimitri answered, also rolling his eyes. He too was spending way too much time with Rose. "I just thought that you said that you were going to have a proper meal."

"I never said that," Lissa answered. "I said that I was going to eat, I never said what or how much."

"I'm not letting you leave the house until you have something decent." Dimitri argued.

"Aren't you now?" Lissa questioned.

"Yes and I am faster, stronger and trained for these situations.

"What situations? A pregnant Queen running away from food?"

"Apparently I'm supposed to be trained for every situation, so yes." Lissa cracked up.

"Okay, I'll make you a deal. If you can make me a spaghetti bolognaise that is somewhat edible, I'll eat it." Lissa said, grinning at Dimitri.

"And if I do manage to make this fabulous spaghetti dish, you have to eat in and go get some blood afterwards." Dimitri thought that he might be pushing his look, but Lissa just gave an exasperated sigh.

"Fine." She held out her hand. "Deal." He took her hand in his and shook it. Obviously Lissa didn't know just how much of a good cook he is.

. . .

Neil was the first one to reach the phone, not surprising really since he was a trained dhampir. He dialled the emergency service number, 333 at Court and was reassured that an ambulance was on its way.

Zoe had ran out into the kitchen and soaked flannels in icy cold water for Sydney's head. She ran out again, looking as if she were going to be sick with worry, and gave it to Jill, who gently placed it on Sydney's head.

Upon contact between her skin and the freezing cold cloth, Sydney let out a low groan and opened her eyes. She was still breathing rapidly and Adrian was scared, he was so, so scared. Stupid, stupid, he had taken one of his pills earlier, upon the realisation that Sydney was going to be alright and he didn't want spirit to ruin their reunion went she woke up. It was a stupid, idiotic decision. He should have known that something bad would happen.

"Sage?" He hardly dared to breath. Her eyes darted around in confusion. "Where am I?" She croaked. "Who are you?" She was looking at Neil. She turned to look at the floor, her face contorting with fear. She let out a series of scared whimpers and buried her face into Adrian's shirt, the cold cloth pressed uncomfortably into him. Hallucinations.

"Shh Sage, it'll be all right, I promise." He whispered, stroking her hair. "I promise that I won't let anything hurt you."

Sydney was scared, she didn't know the person who was standing next to her, his face was all blurry. And the floor... why were there monsters of the floor? She felt hot, too hot, but her forehead was cold. Her throat hurt, her chest hurt, she couldn't keep track of her breathing - it was like she wasn't controlling her lungs at all. It was like her lungs were doing anything to grasp their own oxygen.

She heard Adrian's voice, just above her, and she realised that she was in someone's arms. Adrian's? She buried her head in to something soft, warm and comforting. Whatever it was, it sure smelled nice.

"Are they here yet?" Adrian roared, cradling Sydney in his arms.

"I don't know," another male voice answered. "I'll run into the square and see."

Who wasn't here yet? Sydney thought. What square? Sydney immediately thought of a set square and she giggled, not quite sure what was so funny. Then dark spots appeared in her already somewhat damaged eyesight and then she couldn't see anything and she felt sick. Everything seemed to stop, or at least go incredibly slow, but that might be because all she had was her sense of sound. Everything else was pretty messed up. She heard a loud, piercing noise in what seemed to be the distance and everything just stopped altogether.

"Sydney?" Adrian asked panicked as he heard the sirens in the distance. "Sydney? Stay with me. Wake up!"

Paramedics rushed into the house with a stretcher and before Adrian knew what was going on, Sydney had been taken out of his arms and placed on a stretcher.

"Adrian!" Zoe screamed to catch the man's attention. "Get in the ambulance, keep me updated, I'll be there as soon as I can!" Adrian gave her a grateful nod and disappeared into the ambulance with Sydney and the paramedics.

Jill stood in the middle of the room, shellshocked now that the rush and anxiety was over and everything had a chance to sink in. "I'm going to find Eddie and go to the hospital." She said finally. "Are you coming?"

"We will in a minute." Zoe answered, trying to remember how to breathe. "We'll see you there."

As Jill walked out of the house shakily, Zoe turned to Neil. "Are you okay?" He asked her as she took out her phone from her pocket.

"No." She answered. "But I realised that there is something that I have wanted to do all day."

"And what's that?" He asked.

"This." And Zoe stood on her tip-toes, locking her hands around the tall dhampir's neck. He leant down slightly and she kissed him passionately. A few minutes later, when they broke away, Zoe sighed sadly.

"Now I have to answer a phone call that I have been putting off..." And she disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Neil to his thoughts alone.

. . .

Jill went to the Guardian who was in charge of all the other Guardians who were on fence duty.

"Princess Jillian," he greeted. "How may I help you?"

"Hello Guardian Smith," she answered, trying to keep a smile on her face. "I'm wondering where Guardian Castile is right now?"

"He's on fence duty. Not off for another couple of hours." Guardian Smith informed her.

"Do you think he could possibly finish his shift on my service?" Jill asked. "As you can see I have no Guardians with me."

"If you really want a Guardian with you, I'm sure that I can arrange for someone to-" Guardian Smith began but Jill cut him off.

"Please, please, _please _let Guardian Castile do the remainder of his shift with me." A tear leaked out of Jill's eye. "Something bad has happened Guardian Smith, and I'd really like to have him there with me." There was a double meaning in her words.

Guardian Smith got worried, had something happened to threaten the Princess's safety. He was just about to speak when Jill saw his face.

"Oh no, it was nothing to really do with me. A friend, she has fallen very ill and I don't think she'll... she'll... she'll make it..." Jill whispered, casting her eyes downwards, begging herself not to cry.

"Very well." Guardian Smith relented. "I shall get Guardian Castile for you Princess Jillian."

. . .

"Cheater..." Lissa growled at Dimitri as he set a plate of spaghetti bolognaise in front of her. Well a plate was too small a word, it was more like a platter.

"How did I cheat? I made the whole thing from scratch myself." Dimitri answered, sitting beside Lissa at the table.

"You didn't tell me that you were a cooking mastermind." Lissa huffed, glaring at him.

"You expected me to make the deal if I couldn't cook?" Dimitri laughed.

"Stupid Russian..." Lissa fumed, muttering under her breath.

"Bon appetite." Dimitri teased.

. . .

Rose sat bored in the hospital waiting room doing, as the name suggests, nothing but waiting. She was waiting for news on Sparky and no-one had nothing. And quite frankly, Rosemarie Hathaway was bored.

Her phone chimed and she whipped it out, hoping that it wasn't someone paging her for another shift at the fence or something because she had to stay here for Liss, Queen's orders.

Nope, it was from Dimitri. She opened the multimedia text to a picture of a giant heap of spaghetti and Lissa's annoyed face. Underneath was a long, detailed message about Lissa's deal and how she had failed miserably at winning. Rose laughed to herself, earning glares from the other occupants of the waiting room. Not that she cared really.

. . .

Adrian rushed into the hospital after the paramedics. "Excuse me!" He shouted. "Where are you taking her? Excuse me!"

"Sorry sir, you are going to have sit down in the waiting area." A nurse told him.

"What? Why? I have to see her. I promised that I wouldn't leave her alone!" Adrian protested.

"Don't worry sir, she's in good hands."

"No," Adrian answered. "She's in hands that she is terrified of." The nurse just gave him a questioning glance.

"She's human, no worse than that, she's an Alchemist, a God fearing, vampire hating group. She'll freak." Adrian explained, still looking frantically around for Sydney.

"She's ill sir," the nurse answered. "Very ill, she won't be going anywhere soon. Sit in the waiting room, someone will be in very shortly to inform you of what is going on and you'll be notified when you can go and see her." The nurse lead him to the door of the waiting room. "In there."

Adrian, realised that there wasn't much more that he could do, entered the room.

"Hey Adrian," Rose said. "What are you doing here? Have you heard about Christian and Lissa?"

. . .

"I don't understand!" Olive cried.

"Of course you don't." Guardian Hanley told her quietly.

"I wasn't anywhere near Nina since the wedding! How could I have been at the apartment! Who done this?" Olive freaked.

"Just sit down Ms. Sinclair." Guardian Hanley snapped.

"No! I'm getting out of here. All you are doing is interviewing me about my sister's death - something which I know nothing about - instead of trying to find out who the real murderer is. The person who killed my sister!" Olive screamed.

"I assure you, we have other people working on other aspects of the case." Guardian Hanley answered sharply.

"I don't care, I'm leaving!" Olive screamed, beginning to walk away and then she was tackled to the floor.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bloodlines. **

**A/N: I'm pretty sure that Mia is a little bit OOC, but just roll with it. Sorry that it's a little bit shorter than the other chapters. **

Zoe stood in the kitchen on her own. She had refused to let Neil come in, she didn't want him to have to witness the conversation full of lies, on either side, that she was going to have now.

"Zoe, is that you!" An angry voice called from the other side of the line. "Where the hell are you and Sydney? You've been missing for the last two days! Sydney was supposed to be getting married! Do you know how this makes me look? Get back here right now with Sydney young lady!" No how are you's or are you alright's, just orders and selfishness.

"Dad," Zoe sniffed, and surprisingly it was real. "Sydney's dead."

"What?" The voice on the other side stiffened. "Excuse me?"

"Sydney's dead. She ran away the day of the wedding at I ran after her." Zoe lied effortlessly. A perk of her training as an Alchemist. "She had somehow gotten her hand on a load of money and she brought plane tickets to Palm Springs." Zoe added another sniff. "I guess she must have started to remember something about her..." Zoe paused dramatically for her father's benefit and stuttered: "h-her s-s-sins."

She could hear her father's breathing grow heavier on the other side of the line.

"I-I followed her, but I w-was too late. Sydney, she... she killed herself." Zoe started crying, she was crying for other reasons than what her father thought of course.

"Zoe..." He began, but she cut him off.

"I disposed of her body so that it wouldn't raise suspicions if anyone saw her tattoo. I am so sorry dad." Zoe's breathing slowed, hoping that her dad would fall into her trap.

"V-very well." His voice broke a little. "I shall inform your mother and sister that she was killed in a car accident. You must not say otherwise."

"Of course not sir." She answered obediently, trying to keep the disgust for him out of her voice.

"Now, when are you coming back?" He asked, his voice neutral now, as if she hadn't just told him that his daughter had just killed herself.

"I'm not." She answered.

"What do you mean that you're not?" He snapped. "Don't be stupid, I understand your grieving but there're things more important than-"

"Than what father? My family?" Zoe tried to keep the anger out of her voice and failed. "I'm not coming back, not what after happened to Sydney. I promise I won't tell mom and Carly about what really happened but I'm not rejoining you and the Alchemists. I quit!" And with that she hung up and took the back off her phone, took out the battery and sim card and smashed them under her heel. She threw the phone into the fire in the stove than was in the kitchen, and watched it melt away until there was nothing left. Hopefully they couldn't track her now.

She marched into the sitting room, where Neil was waiting for her and she pulled him into a long, heated kiss. This was what she wanted.

. . .

"Wait, you are telling me that Lissa is pregnant and had a threatened miscarriage, all while Ozera is in surgery after getting beat up and all the while I was too busy stressing over Sage?" Adrian asked, outraged.

"Yes, and you are telling me that Sydney nearly drowned herself, almost got hypothermia, you have some medical skills besides spirit and now she has a desperate fever?" Rose sighed. "Why is life so complicated?"

"I don't know, tell that to the love triangle that you used to have with me." Adrian joked, trying to lighten the mood but only succeeding to make it heavier.

"I told you before Adrian dearest," Rose said rolling her eyes. "It wasn't a love triangle, it was an _attraction _triangle. You were attracted to me, I was attracted to you. I was in love with Dimitri and Dimitri was in love with me."

"No, no, I'm pretty sure that you loved me." Adrian insisted. "Admit it Rose, I'm just lovable."

"Do you ever get sick of hitting on girls years younger than you." Rose asked cheekily, forgetting how this question could backfire.

"As I recall you and Sage are not that much younger than me and pot calling the kettle black. You are going out with your _teacher_. He's like a decade older than you." Adrian chuckled at Rose's angry expression.

"I'm going to kill you Ivashkov..."

"Only because of your own stupidity." Adrian jeered. Rose was just about to lunge at him with her stake when a doctor entered the room.

"Sydney Sage?" He asked.

"That's us." Adrian gasped, clutching Rose's wrist.

. . .

"Eat." Dimitri told Lissa has she picked at her spaghetti.

"Pray tell Dimitri, how do you expect me to eat this much on my own? This is a meal for about six." Lissa glared.

"Well you can share with the baby." Dimitri pointed out grinning slyly.

"Not helping, so for God's sake will you pick up a fork and help me get through this."

"I thought you'd never ask." Dimitri answered, picking up a silverware fork.

"How are you anyway? After the baby scare." Dimitri looked wistfully at Lissa's stomach. Children. Something he and Rose couldn't have.

"Okay I guess, better if Christian would just be okay." Lissa mumbled.

"Speaking of which, is the pain gone?" He asked.

"Mostly." Lissa answered. "But I could just be scared and imagining it at this stage."

"Did you take your anti-depressants this morning?"

"Uh huh."

"Well it's not spirit then, which is good right?" Dimitri asked.

"Guess so." Lissa answered, twirling the spaghetti around on the fork and nibbling at it delicately. "Now my question for you. How did you get this spaghetti to taste so damn good?"

. . .

Mia Rinaldi stepped out of her car, leaving her suitcases behind her. She was angry. She had been summoned to Court after being stood up by her best friend Nina. When she had answered the call, all that she had got was a: "Come to the Moroi Court as soon as possible."

She had been directed to go to the Guardian Interrogation Headquarters, although she had no idea why. All she knew was that she was angry. She was supposed to be having a nice trip with her best friend, after her said best friend got dumped at the altar by a certain Mr. Adrian Ivashkov. She was glad that she hadn't been able to make it to the wedding now, or she would have bashed his head in for standing her friend up like that.

She marched through the light blanket of snow, shivering in her flimsy coat. Not too many people took notice of her, and certainly nobody recognised her. Which was kind of a good thing, the last thing that she wanted was to run into someone she knew, and have to listen to them go on and on to what had happened since she left. No thank-you.

She reached the G.I.H (Guardian Interrogation Headquarters) and opened the door. Thankfully it was much warmer than it was outside. She walked up the front desk and muttered her name, 'stating her business' and was directed to wait in Guardian Hanley's office. She wasn't told why.

She sat there impatiently waiting for the Guardian, who wanted to talk to her so desperately that it had to be A.S.A.P and sighed. She never thought that she'd be back in the Moroi Court ever again.

. . .

Olive had been formerly bonding with the ground, now she was back to spending time with her table and chair, which she was been handcuffed to... Which was really unlucky because right now Olive really wanted to punch Guardian Hanley in the face. And now, they were having a staring contest. That was, until someone knocked on the door.

"Come in," Guardian Haney announced, turning towards the door. Olive had won the staring match it seemed.

"Mia Rinaldi is waiting in your office Guardian," the person beside the door answered.

"Very well," Guardian Hanley answered, standing up. She hadn't been handcuffed to a chair. "I'll go to her."

"Wait!" Olive cried. "What about me!" But she got no answer from either of them, and the door was shut. Leaving her in the cold room alone.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I don't own the****Bloodlines.**

Mia tapped her long nails off the desk rhythmically. The Guardians had told her to get to Court as soon as possible, and when she arrived, she had to wait for them to discuss an 'urgent' matter. She was still tapping the desk, when the door opened and a Guardian strolled in.

"Hello Ms. Rinaldi, I am Guardian Hanley," she introduced. Mia just nodded impatiently. "I am here to inform you on the unfortunate death of Nina Sinclair."

And she had not been expecting that.

. . .

Adrian clutched Rose's wrist and he was squeezing it tight, any other time, Rose would have punched him, or yelled at him, but not now. "That's us," Adrian repeated.

The doctor looked at him. "Come with me," he said.

That's when Rose began to feel a little bit suspicious. When doctors were breaking news to you, whether it was good or bad, they normally just told you, they don't usually take you somewhere else.

The doctor lead them into a private room, Rose guessed, and shut the door. They stood in silence for a few minutes before he smiled, and the lights went out. If Rose hadn't been alert enough, this certainly made her seem so. She immediately tried to locate the door, and the 'doctor' at the same time.

"Adrian!" She called. "Find the door!" She collided with something hard, but she didn't know whether it was the doctor, or Adrian himself. She guessed the doctor since the object made no noise of pain, where as Adrian would probably over-dramatise it.

So she hit the figure hard, knocking him to the ground, but man, this 'doctor' was good. He tripped her, and sent her flying to the ground. Rose was pretty sure that he was going to do something worse, because she could him breathing next to her, even if she couldn't see anything in the pitch black room, but then the door swung open. And just like that, the figure next to her was gone.

Dimitri stood at the door, a serious look placed upon his face, as was usual. "What's going on in here?" He asked. "I heard screaming and banging!" He turned on the light, only to see Rose lying breathless on the ground, and Adrian knocked out about a foot away from the door.

"Rose," Dimitri's voice took on a dangerous edge. "You didn't attack Adrian did you?"

"No," she gasped. "I didn't." She didn't know where she should tell Dimitri what really happened... she was ashamed that she, of all people, had been thrown to the ground. "There was a doctor, he led us in here to tell us about Sydney. I think he was an imposter, because he turned off the lights and attacked us. I think he was going for Adrian though, not me." She hung her head in embarrassment, as Dimitri walked over to her. "He got away," she muttered.

"It wasn't your fault Roza," Dimtri's voice grew soft upon realising how Rose was feeling. "He was probably a Moroi assassin."

"I'm a Guardian," she muttered. "I'm supposed to be able to stop these things. What if it were Lissa?"

"Then you would have had back-up, strength in numbers, remember?" She just nodded.

"We should probably get Adrian looked at," she nodded towards Ivashkov's unconscious body.

"Yeah, probably." Dimitri grinned, and they grabbed a hand each, hauling Adrian off the ground.

. . .

Lissa was standing outside Christian's room in the ICU. Dimitri had dropped her off, and gone to find Rose. He hadn't come back yet though. She was waiting for the nurses to leave the room, so that she could go in and sit by him. Wait for him to wake up, because he was going to wake up, even if she had to stop her anti-depressants and use spirit magic itself. Which she was going to do. It would just take a few days, that's all.

The nurses left and gave her an encouraging smile, and she wasted no time stepping into the room. She sat down beside Christian and held his hand. "Wake up Christian, come on, you can't leave me to deal with those snobs on my own. That is just mean."

No answer.

"I love you," Lissa sighed. "And you better wake up, or I'm not going to be impressed."

Still no answer.

"I hate you," Lissa whispered. "You were always too stubborn. Not leaving anybody tell you what to do. Just wake up - and that's an order from your Queen."

The room stayed silent after that.

. . .

Zoe and Neil left the room to go to the hospital not long after, their lips swollen. Zoe still didn't have a proper coat, and Neil couldn't phantom how she had managed to search for Sydney and stay out here, yet Sydney was the one sick and Zoe was just fine. Regardless, he pulled her up against him as they walked along and wrapped her up in his coat, leaving him in only a jumper for warmth.

"Why did you give me your coat, you are freezing." Zoe pointed out. "For God's sake will you take it back!"

"No," Neil shook his head stubbornly. "Keep it."

"Such a masochist," she sighed exasperatedly. "Don't blame me when you are a snowman."

"Maybe I want to be a snowman," he retorted childishly. It was unusual for him to act like this, but somehow Zoe brought out a softer side in him that felt emotion and enabled him to have a bit of fun.

"Sure," Zoe answered. "Be cold for the rest of your life, and hate summer. Fun."

Neil didn't answer back, and he kissed her instead.

"Neil," Zoe pushed him away sharply. "What are you doing? We are in the middle of Court!"

"Who cares? Lady Ivashkov knows, and she strikes me as the gossiping type. She'll have the whole Court told anyway." Neil answered.

"Oh, well in that case..." And Zoe stood on her tiptoes to kiss him again.

Meanwhile Jill had forgotten to tell Eddie that Zoe and Neil were dating. So you can imagine the look on his face when he spotted Zoe and Neil kissing in the distance.

"Oh," he whispered. "That explains a lot."

"What explains a lot?" Jill asked, her head resting on Eddie's shoulder.

"I kind of told Neil about Zoe being here, and that everyone wanted to kill her for what she had done, and he got really protective over her. Them making out over there explains so much." Eddie pointed to the couple in the distance.

"Oh yeah, you should have seen Lady Ivashkov's face when she was being horrible to Zoe, and Neil answered back to her, telling her to stop being horrible to his girlfriend. She had a fit about taboos. Now she knows about Adrian and Sydney." Jill explained.

Eddie shook his head. "Let's go see how Sydney's doing."

. . .

Lissa was still sitting at Christian's bedside, still holding his hand, and she was singing. Christian had always liked it when she sung in the shower.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away..."

Lissa couldn't help it, she began to cry.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bloodlines. **

**A/N: **A/N: Okay guys, the reason that I haven't updated was that I'm waiting to read Silver Shadows. I finally got it and it was amazing! As expected I wanted to burn the bok in anger after :P****

**Also, I thought that I had this chapter already posted up for some reason, it was supposed to have been updated last week. Sorry. **

Mia stared at Guardian Hanley in shock. "What?"

So Nina hadn't abandoned her, she had... been murdered? Mia instantly felt guilty for thinking that her friend would brush her off on purpose.

"I am so sorry for your loss." But Mia knew that the Guardian wasn't. The Guardian just wanted to investigate.

"How?" She whispered.

"She was shot in the head. All other information is classified." Guardian Hanley said smoothly, as if she were saying a poem off by heart, not like she was telling Mia about how her best friend had died.

"Where is Olive Sinclair?" Mia asked. She knew that Nina had a sister - she had met her a couple of time. She must be feeling horrible from the devastating loss.

"She is being held for interrogation," Guardian Hanley answered, standing up. Mia's mask turned into a horrified one.

"Her sister has just been murdered, and you are holding her for interrogation?" She squeaked angrily.

"There is evidence against her," was all she got as the Guardian walked out the door. Another Guardian walked in.

"Okay, Ms. Rinaldi, I have to ask you some questions..."

. . .

Adrian woke up with a sore head. "Oww," he groaned. "What happened?" He was met by Dimitri's face. Lovely. What had he done to deserve being woken up in a room with a certain Russian for company.

"You and Rose were attacked by someone imposing as a doctor." Dimitri answered.

"Oh... is she okay?" Adrian asked.

"Who? Rose? Yeah, she's good." Dimitri answered. "She's gone to find Lissa."

"Not Rose, I know Rose is okay. If she wasn't you wouldn't be here. I mean Sydney. Is Sydney okay?" Adrian answered, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, I don't know. I forgot to ask." Dimitri said guiltily.

"Okay, let's go find someone that knows about Sage then," Adrian said, standing up.

"Are you sure? You might have a concussion." Dimitri said, standing up quickly.

"I don't care if my legs might be falling off, Sydney is more important," Adrian answered, as he led the way out of the room.

. . .

"Liss! Lissa! Vasilisa!" Rose called Lissa impatiently at her sleeping friend.

"Wha-what?" Lissa woke up with a start. She looked up and saw Rose. "Why did you wake me up? Why did you call me Vasilisa? You know I hate that name." She murmured sleepily.

"There is a Moroi assassin in the hospital, so there are going to be a lot of guards outside that door, and I'm going to stay in here. Dimitri will probably join us later, after he tends to Adrian." Rose explained to her friend, sitting down beside her.

"What?" Lissa was wide awake and alert now.

"Sydney is in the hospital with hypothermia." Rose started to explain. "Adrian was in the waiting room with me. A doctor came up to us, asking about Sydney Sage. He led us into a private room, the lights went out, and he attacked us. Dimitri came in afterwards. Adrian had been knocked unconscious, and the doctor had disappeared."

"Oh my God, is Sydney alright?" Lissa asked.

"Seriously? That's what you retained? I don't know, I presume Dimitri will find out." Rose sighed. "I hope she's okay, for Adrian at least."

. . .

Jill and Eddie walked along in the snow. It would have been pretty romantic, if not for the fact that they were heading towards the hospital, and soon entering a war zone.

Neil and Zoe were walking down too, and despite the fact that they were also heading towards the hospital, for the same reason, they still maintained a happy attitude. Even though Zoe was heading to the hospital to see how her sister was, she had full confidence that Sydney was going to be alright - Adrian would look after her. And Neil was just happy that Zoe could be all his now. Who cared about the taboos?

And that was why they were throwing snowballs at each other, and laughing, as they made their way to the building. Neil was getting the brunt of it because he was horrible was making proper snowballs, and he wasn't close enough to throw fistfuls of snow. He also didn't have a coat. And while he had the better aim, Zoe had a lot more snowballs to throw.

Jill walked into the hospital, clinging to Eddie as he hugged her tight. If someone told him four and a half years ago that he would be dating, and in love with, a Moroi Princess, he would have laughed at them and sent them to the loony bin, or assumed that they had been feeders for a long, long time and were now delusional.

Neil and Zoe arrived in behind them, wet and freezing. That was another thing that he thought he'd never see. Zoe and Neil, the two people from Palm Springs that he thought would never be accepting of the other kind (mostly Zoe) and here they were, dating like a normal, happy couple. It was weird.

Neil asked about Sydney, as Eddie reassured Jill that everything was going to be okay, and Zoe stood beside them awkwardly. Neil came back, and then they were walking down the hall, all four of them together.

. . .

Olive had been let to a cell to stay for the night. She was innocent and didn't even get to go home. It was horrible.

She lay on her back - probably the most uncomfortable sleeping position, and looked up at the bleak gray ceiling. It filled her with hopelessness. What if she was charged with the crime of murdering her sister, when she didn't do it, and most certainly didn't want to be charged of a crime that she didn't do. She hoped that Nina, wherever she was, knew that she didn't do it.

She turned over on her side, and tried to fall asleep.

. . .

Zoe saw Adrian walking down the corridor first.

"Adrian!" She exclaimed, walking ahead. "Why the hell are you out here? Why aren't you with Sydney? Why do you have a black eye?"

"I have a black eye?" Adrian asked turning to Dimitri. "You didn't tell me that I had a black eye." Dimitri shrugged.

"Hello?" Zoe interrupted. "My sister."

"I don't see why you are so angry," Jill chimed in, despite warnings from Eddie. "You seemed pretty content to kiss your boyfriend and act all careless while she was in here." Zoe's face flushed.

"Excuse me? That is because I thought that someone might have been taking care of her!" She glared at Adrian.

Adrian was surprised that Zoe had so much trust in him.

"Well, I was knocked out so I couldn't exactly be much help then, could I?" Adrian interrupted, defending himself.

"Knocked out?" All four of them asked together.

Adrian groaned.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bloodlines. **

"Knocked out?" Jill repeated again. "How did you get knocked out?"

"I was knocked out by an imposter doctor," Adrian mumbled. "Rose was with me, but it was dark so he got away. Belikov pretty much saved us."

"None of this is important," Zoe said briskly. "Sydney is. Now are we going to go see how she is doing or not?" And to her relief, everyone started to walk down the hall again, except Dimitri who was going to find Rose and Lissa.

. . .

Mia left the room as soon as the Guardian was finished asking her the routine questions, now she was going to have to get a room and stay the night. Technically she could have left if she wanted, but she couldn't, not with Olive being accused of murdering her very own sister. She knew that Nina would have wanted her to stay and try and prove Olive's innocence. Because there was no way that Olive Sinclair was a murderer. No way.

As she lay down on the bed in the room that she would be staying at, she wondered how she hadn't bumped into anyone that she knew on the street yet... She was sure that this peace and quiet without meeting with the past wasn't going to last long though...

. . .

"Okay doc," Adrian said, talking to a real doctor this time out in the corridor. Eddie and Neil were on Guardian Alert, but Jill and Zoe were looking in at Sydney through the glass sadly.

"It looks like she is going to be okay," he answered, examining the medical charts. "She's going to be in here for awhile though, and she probably won't wake up for a couple of days. She's feverish, so she might call out and open her eyes and toss and turn after the medication we give her wears off." The doctor closed his binder. "Only two visitors at a time okay," he said, examining the crowd, and then he walked off.

"Well I'm definitely going in," Adrian said. "And only one person can go in with me." Everyone was quiet.

"I think that Eddie should go in," Zoe said softly. "I mean, you are the only one who hasn't seen her yet, and you were the one that tried to save her the night that..." Zoe took a deep breath, remembering the horrible things that she had done. "The night that she was taken away."

Eddie looked at Zoe weirdly, this was definitely not the girl that he remembered. Not the girl that got Sydney taken away, not the girl that was fiercely loyal to the Alchemists, not the girl that was terrified of their race. This was a whole different person.

"Thanks," he told her, and he meant it. And then he and Adrian entered the room where Sydney was resting. And Zoe sat down in the waiting room while Neil got coffee and Jill gave Zoe a comforting smile.

Sydney was going to be okay. If she wasn't, everything that any of them had ever built would shatter.

. . .

"Roza."

Rose turned around to face Dimitri who was now behind her. She buried her head into his chest in an usual display of weakness from her. She couldn't help herself though, the couple of days had been awful. Adrian nearly got married, and Sydney came back. Sydney nearly drowned and got hypothermia. Christian was half dead because of a bunch of idiots. Lissa had nearly lost the baby and was in no fit state to be a queen while all of this was happened. There was an imposter acting as a hospital around here who tried to kill Adrian and her, and she had let him get away!

"It will be alright."

But would it be alright? How could it ever be right again when everything around them was crumbling and breaking apart. This had been waiting to happen for years, and now that it was finally happening, none of them were prepared. There wasn't a visible light to follow to the end of the tunnel, it was pitch black and full of twists and turns.

"Will it Dimitri? Will it really?" Rose whispered.

. . .

Lissa stared at the monitors and suddenly felt despair. She hadn't allowed herself to crack while Rose was with her, but Rose had gone for coffee. She swallowed the lump in her throat, and desperately tried to summon spirit, any little bit of spirit at all. But none answered her call. Even if she couldn't fix any of Christian's really bit problems, she could heal the small ones. She needed her spirit back, and she needed Christian to wake up.

But she wasn't expecting him to wake up anytime soon, and that was why when Christian's eyes started fluttering, trying to open them, Lissa nearly toppled off her chair.

"Christian," she gasped, sucking in a breath of air. "Christian. Wake up, please, wake up."

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy..." Christian whispered tunelessly, without opening his eyes fully. Then he closed them properly again and turned silent, only his small breaths filled the room. Lissa looked at him, waiting for him to wake up for real this time, but he didn't, and so she cried.

. . .

Guardian Hanley had decided to join Olive again, but it wasn't because she intended on letting her go. "Are you ready to confess all you know yet Ms. Sinclair?" She asked, taking a seat.

"I don't know what you think that I know. I've already told you that it isn't me." Olive answered, trying to keep her temper in check. "And I have no idea why you think that it was me who killed Nina."

"We told you," Guardian Hanley answered, bored. "That your voice was heard before Nina's death." Olive stayed silent. "That and we fear that maybe some of your... Strigoi tendencies might be coming back." Olive gasped.

"I have no Strigoi tendencies thank-you very much," she snapped. "I didn't kill my sister. And, if I did have Strigoi tendencies, wouldn't you think it more likely that I would have drained her blood, not shot her in the head?" Olive glared at the Guardian. "I thought that you people were supposed to be smart."

"Ms. Sinclair, a Strigoi tendency doesn't mean that you want to be Strigoi again - we have clarified that it only happens once with the case of Mr. Lee O' Donahue. A Strigoi tendency is to kill."

. . .

Lissa watched as Christian began to open his eyes for real now. He looked at her confused and began to blink. He's just wondering where he is and what happened Lissa told herself.

"You're in hospital, you got beat up pretty badly. They are trying to find out who did it and punish them. I'll make sure that they punish them so bad." She gave him a small smile.

"What can you do about it?" Christian's voice cut like ice in the room.

"I'm the Queen, I can do anything I want about it."

"Ha, you are very full of yourself, aren't you? You won't be Queen, and you don't have any family left so you can be Queen anyway." Lissa looked at Christian, her heart rate rising.

"Christian, stop messing around."

"I'm not messing around, why are you even here? You are Ms. Popular, shouldn't you be hanging out with your boyfriend and that Hathaway chick." He snapped.

"You don't remember anything, do you?" Lissa whispered, not wanting the words to be true.

"What should I remember? How much everyone hates me?" Christian said coldly. "Will you just leave me alone and stop pretending that you care about me."


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bloodlines. **

**A/N: This chapter is probably going to be centred around Lissa and Christian after the last bombshell, and Rose and Dimitri getting caught up in it. **

Lissa felt as if she was in a really bad dream, one pinch and she would wake up and everything would be normal again. She looked at her boyfriend (but he wasn't her boyfriend was he? He was different...) in astonishment and shock. She wanted to breakdown and sob but Christian would probably just roll his eyes and tell her to stop her blubbering and get out. To him she would look sensitive, not heart-broken.

"I'm going to go and get a doctor," she whispered, standing up to leave the room. Thankfully Rose and Dimitri had disappeared off to get some coffee or something, and she just nodded in greeting to the other Guardians. One of them followed her to outside the bathroom, and Lissa locked a cubicle door, leaned against in and put her head in her hands, crying. What was she going to do? She had to be strong, for her and the baby.

And Christian couldn't know that she was pregnant until he got his memory back. If he got it back.

Lissa sank further into despair, she could have prevented this if only she had been able to summon spirit faster, even know it was only just coming back... those stupid anti-depressants! But Lissa knew, that even if she had spirit right now, that she wouldn't be able to repair Christian's memory. There was some things that spirit couldn't fix...

. . .

Christian however was thoroughly confused. First Lissa, Miss Popular who apparently referred to herself as the Queen, had been in his room, worrying about him, and then Rose Hathaway bounds in, and chats to him as if they were old friends or something.

"So Sparky, where is Lissa? You gave us all a fright there, I mean come on, did you have to stay asleep for that long? I know you need your beauty sleep and all, but you didn't need to overdo it." Christian looked at her.

"What are you on about Hathaway? Why the hell are you in my room?" He groaned. He didn't even know why he was in here, except that he must be injured and his head hurt.

And then he began to think... Lissa and Rose usually didn't associate themselves with him, or worried about him, so... they must have had something to do with whatever he had been put in here for and now they felt guilty.

"Rude," she quipped, sipping a cup of coffee. "Dimitri has gone to get a doctor."

"Yeah, and so did Lissa, but that was ages ago," Christian glared. "Get out of my room now _Rosemarie._"

He watched as Rose splutter and choked on the gulp of coffee she had been drinking. She stared at him, her mouth wide open. "That is a line that you swore never to cross, Strigoi boy." She hissed. "We went over this ages ago, you don't call me by my full name and I don't call you by your childhood nickname."

Dimitri came in at that moment with a doctor, and he noticed the tense atmosphere. He smiled apologetically at the doctor, and put a hand on Rose's arm. "What is wrong Roza?" He asked, confused to as why Rose and Christian were glaring at each other like they wanted to rip each other's head off. They usually glared at each other, and pretended that they hated each other, but they were playful - this was malicious.

"He," Rose spat. "Is being an idiot!"

"What is everyone doing here?" Christian spoke up. "Why am I even in here?"

"Umm... excuse me?" The doctor gestured to Dimitri and Rose who were blocking his way to his patient.

"First of all Lissa was here, acting like she was worried around me or something, and referring to herself as the Queen. Then Rose acts like we actually talk to each other, and I'm in a hospital, and no-one will tell me what happened!" Rose gasped, seemingly realising what was wrong, and she ran out of the room. She needed to find Lissa. Lissa would have already found out, she could be doing anything. She could be crying somewhere, or running away, or she could be cutting again... An image of Lissa's wrists covered with blood sprang into Rose's mind, and she ran faster.

Dimitri watched as Christian got the date wrong, got the fact that he had friends wrong, the fact that his aunt was in prison... Christian had lost his memory. Dimitri swore that he would protect the arrogant boy, but he had failed. And between Christian and Sydney everything was losing structure and falling down. Crushing them all in the process.

He stayed though, he stayed as his heart sank further for Lissa, someone would have to try and convince Christian that everything that he thought was the past. And someone would have to tell him the story of what had changed.

. . .

"Lissa! Lissa!" Rose screeched, running around the hospitals in what felt like circles. She ran into Jill, who looked at her worriedly.

"Rose, are you-" Jill began, but she got cut off.

"Jill, have you seen your sister?" Jill shook her head, and was about to say something, but Rose had already run away.

Rose spotted a Guardian beside a bathroom exit and she ran up to her. "Is the Queen in there?" She asked breathlessly. The Guardian nodded stiffly. Rose pushed open the door and she looked at the row of cubicles, waiting to hear breathing or something.

"Lissa? Are you in here?" The door on the far side unlocked and opened, and Lissa can out, looked absolutely awful.

"Rose," she sniffed.

"I know, I know," Rose said, jogging over and hugging her friend. "But he'll be okay. He'll get his memory back, this is only a temporary thing. After everything that has happened to us over the last two years, this isn't the worst. And this one will get better, just like the rest did."

"But this is the worst Rose," Lissa sniffed. "It can't get any worse than this."

"Yeah, and that is why is has to get better."

**A/N: I know, I know, it is pretty short... :/**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bloodlines. **

**A/N: Updates will probably get slower after this chapter since I am back to school on Thursday (the 28th of August) and it is my Junior Exams this year, so I actually have to study (pfft... me? studying? nah.) I also have like, 14 stories to write and trying to make time for each story, homework and studying all the while still maintaining my social life is going to be no easy task (I'm not a great multi-tasker), but I will not, and I can promise you this, **_**I will not abandon this story or any of my others.**_

Adrian was sitting on one side of Sydney and Eddie on the other. The atmosphere was sad and awkward. Neither of them knew what to say or do, they just sat there watching a sleeping, feverish Sydney.

Adrian knew that he could easily use spirit to help Sydney, and he would have in a heartbeat, but he knew that she wouldn't be very impressed with him if she was the old Sydney, and she would never trust him again if she was the new, obedient Alchemist Sydney. His hand was placed on top of hers, and hers was burning up, while his was cold in comparison. He couldn't let Sydney just die, and that is why he was sending small flows of spirit through her - nothing that would instantly make her alive and well, but enough to make sure that she wasn't going to leave permanently. He had lost her too many times but he had survived, but he didn't know if he would be able to survive this one. Not after everything.

Eddie was feeling awkward and guilty. He could have prevented this from the very start. From the day that she made him believe that stupid spell. If he had stayed, maybe he would have gotten her out, and then none of this would have happened. None of it. Now he was staring at Sydney, watching her chest rise and fall, making sure that she was still breathing. He would never forgive himself if she died. Never.

Zoe peeped through the small window on the door, a cup of lukewarm coffee in her hands, and she could practically feel the sadness and guilt oozing from the room. Or maybe it was her own sadness and guilt. This was all her fault, if she hadn't have been such a little brat, hanging off her father's every word. If she hadn't been nosy and read those texts and then tattled on her sister before she had a chance to explain. And then if she hadn't become a hypocrite, and fallen for a "creature of the night". In fact, if she hadn't fallen for Neil, then she would be sure that Sydney would be married to Ian, and that she wouldn't have had Zoe at her side, because the Zoe without Neil was a suck-up and a bitch. Zoe was glad that she wasn't that person anymore.

. . .

Olive was in shock as she was led into a cell for the night. Strigoi tendencies... her? She wanted to talk to someone about it - Dimitri or Sonya, and more importantly she wanted to talk to Nina. But Nina was dead. She curled up into a ball and waited for morning to come. On the bright side, she wasn't going to be kept for questioning anymore. Oh no, instead they were locking her up in a special place for loonies, people gone made for spirit, people who wanted to become Strigoi, people who had overwhelming mental illnesses. She was going to a better place, or at least that is what they told her. Screw them, she thought bitterly, they can think what they like.

But that wasn't true and she knew it. She didn't want them to think that she killed her sister, because she didn't. And she most definitely didn't have Strigoi tendencies. But what did they know?

She would prove herself innocent and get out of here... she would.

. . .

Sonya was taking a walk outside when she saw a blur of movement. She stopped and looked around the deserted street before confirming that there was nothing there except a blanket of snow. Sonya didn't like snow, it covered and killed a lot of plants, and the trees were all bare. It seemed to her that nature was dead. But she smiled as she saw a little snowdrop in the middle of someone's garden. Well... maybe not all of nature is dead.

She started to walk again, humming a tune that she had heard before she had left the house, and she thought that this morning (or night for the humans) was quite lovely despite the coldness and lack of flowers. The snow was so bright that there really wasn't any need for the lamps.

She walked again and she heard a twig snap, and she twisted around, her heart thumping. There was still nobody there. She shivered from the eeriness, and began to walk faster away, her senses on alert...

"BOO!" Came a shout from behind her, and Sonya screamed in surprise and someone grabbed her shoulders. She lost her balance and began to fall backwards, but someone had caught her before she hit the cold ground.

"Mikhail Tanner!" Sonya yelped crossly. "Don't you ever do that again!" But Mikhail just laughed as Sonya snuggled against his chest.

"Back to the house? I bought marshmallows for the hot chocolate?" He chuckled.

"Only if you're making the hot chocolate," Sonya answered.

And while they playfully argued about who was going to make the hot chocolate, neither of them noticed the shadowy figure that was slipping away.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bloodlines. **

**A/N: Okay guys, After Re-Education is like, the only story that I haven't got a case of writer's block for. Which really isn't that bad because this is kind of one of my favourite stories that I've wrote! Oh well, onto the story - and MERRY CHRISTMAS! I think that I may write some Christmas one-shots after I finish this chapter. A oneshot for as many fandoms and ships as possible!**

Adrian was asleep on the chair beside Sydney's hospital bed - the nurses had tried to kick him out when visiting times were over, but eventually they gave up and began to pity him. He didn't use that much compulsion - just enough to sway their firm decisions. Adrian was dreaming, not a spirit dream or anything, he was just normally dreaming. But that didn't mean that it was a normal dream, infact, his dream consisted of ice-skating with Sydney, them both gliding gracefully across the ice (which he knew from experience was false, ice-skating seemed easy to pick up and was very romantic if you succeeded, but Adrian had not succeeded at ice-skating. Ask Jill, she was still laughing about how much he had failed.) Also if that hadn't been a dead giveaway that it was dream, there was always the fact that icicles were singing and there was ice statues skating around as well. But he wouldn't deny that it was a lovely dream, so much better than all the terrifying nightmares of his Aunt Tatiana, and losing Sydney all over again.

Maybe that was why he didn't wake up immediately when the monitor started beeping erratically in Sydney's room. The sound of the dreaded thing called a "flat line."

. . .

Sonya was curled up on the couch, or more specifically, Mikhail's arms, sipping the hot chocolate that she had convinced him to make. He always made it better than herself because he had a strong belief that was centred around his enormous sweet tooth: the more chocolate added, the better. It was a nice belief. And that was why Sonya purposely never made hers as nice - so that Mikhail would make the hot chocolate instead.

The couple were curled up on the couch, enjoying the silence of their small house, when all of a sudden they heard a window smash. Mikhail shoved Sonya behind the couch and he stood up, his whole body tense, listening.

"Stay there," Mikhail whispered, slowly moving to the door to scout the house. Sonya felt her heart thumping in her chest - she had never been this scared before, unless you counted the time that the Warriors of Light had kidnapped her and wanted to kill her because they thought that she was still Strigoi. But at least then she hadn't had to worry about her husband's life.

There was silence throughout the house once more. No sounds of fighting, no voices or shouts, nothing except her heavy breathing as she lay on the floor beside the couch. No sounds of an intruder, but no sounds of Mikhail either. That was enough to make her stand up and move slowly to the other side of the couch, and then make her way towards the door to find Mikhail. It had probably been some troublesome, drunk young people who had miscalculated a throw of a beer bottle and sent it through their window. Yes, that was probably it. There was always an explanation, like when she thought that there had been someone following her a couple of hours before, it had really only been Mikhail sneaking up on her. Hadn't it?

Just then someone barrelled through the sitting room window and Sonya realised that it had been a trap - no-one had broken into the house earlier, they had wanted to distract Mikhail to get him out of the room. "Spirit user!" The shadowed person hissed, lunging at her. Sonya screamed, just as Mikhail ran into the room and shoved Sonya out of the mysterious person's way. Mikhail lifted his fist to punch the person in the face, but it had already gone. Disappeared out of the window that it had broken through.

"Come on!" Mikhail gasped, seemingly unhurt. "It's not safe here."

. . .

Dimitri had filled Christian in about his life since high school (and man it was a long story, he had to make sure that he crammed in every detail) and after all that, Christian had told him drowsily to "write him a book" and then he fell asleep. Dimitri stayed with Christian, being his personal Guardian and all, and he watched as Lissa would occasionally look through the window, but ignore his hand signals to actually come in and sit down, until finally she didn't look in anymore and Dimitri presumed that Rose had managed to drag her away from the hospital and take her home to get some rest.

Dimitri looked at Christian asleep on his bed, and he looked peaceful - a look that he had never, and probably would never again after this night, see on this young boy's face. Christian had become one of his good friends, although he struggled to maintain his friendship with both Dimitri and Adrian, seeing as both of them were still a little bit tense over Rose - it was the type of tension that would never really go away, they would just have to learn to live with it.

And so far, because of Sydney, they had.

. . .

Zoe and Neil booked into the nearest hotel from the hospital together, both exhausted over the eventful few days that they had had. It was hard to even belief that it had only been days - it felt like it had been weeks. Zoe shrugged off her coat and kicked off her shoes, and then lay into the waiting, comfy bed, snuggling into Neil. She hadn't bothered to change into her pyjamas - she was that tired.

"Tomorrow will be better," Neil whispered, kissing her forehead. Zoe sighed and doubted his words, but nodded nevertheless.

"Well, it can hardly get any worse."

That was until Neil's phone rang and both her and Neil audibly groaned in annoyance. Zoe picked it up and answered, as Neil buried his head into the pillow. He swore, if they called him for Guardian duty right now, he would just refuse. Punishment or not.

"Zoe Sage," Zoe answered, just barely stopping herself from yawning.

"It's Sydney! Get down here now!" Jill's voice rang from the phone and then he hung up.

"What is it?" Neil groaned.

"Jill," Zoe said jumping up out of the bed. "She said something is wrong with Sydney!" Neil rolled out of the bed and stood up, grabbing his boots. "You don't have to come," Zoe told him, knowing that he was even more tired than she was. "You can stay and get some sleep and I'll call you when I know what's going on."

"No," Neil shook his head. "I'm coming with you. I wouldn't be able to get to sleep without you anyway."

And with that the couple ran out of the room and to the hospital once again.

. . .

At the hospital, Adrian had just woken to the sound of somebody flat-lining... Sydney! Adrian jumped from the seat that he had previously been sleeping in. He shook the sleep from his body and got ready to bring Sydney back to life if he had to. Who cared if Sydney didn't trust him after this, if would be easier to regain her trust if she was alive rather than death.

Adrian looked around, only to find that Sydney wasn't lying on her bed, dying, but was actually sitting up and pulling needles and wires and other various hospital equipment out of her.

"Sydney," Adrian gasped in shock, "You are not supposed to be taking those out. You are supposed to be resting - you're sick!"

Sydney snorted. "I'm not sick, I'm perfectly well Adrian." She answered, continuing her work, wincing slightly every time a needle slipped out.

Just then a nurse ran into the room, and spotted Sydney. "Well good heavens, you are alive." She gasped, but then she looked sternly down at Sydney. "But you are not getting out of here right now young lady, you were just very sick."

"But I'm not sick!" Sydney protested, as the nurse pushed her back down into the bed and turned off the monitor. "Stay there while I sterilise this equipment. And behave!" She scolded.

As she walked out of the room, Sydney looked at me astonished. "So Sage," I grinned. "How you doing?"

**A/N: Yay! Sydney has finally woken up :) Also I don't know about you guys but I love the idea of Zeil so much that I'm going to cry if it doesn't become canon in the Ruby Circle. So there is a 99.9 percent chance that I will cry because Zeil doesn't happen because of that stupid Olive (bleh) and I'll cry anyway because it is the end :/ **


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bloodlines. **

**A/N: OMG, I know that I'm a little late, but the Ruby Circle was so amazing, and sad, but mainly amazing. (You know if you ignore the fact that there wasn't enough Hopper time, and that Neil and Zoe didn't get together, and that there was a seriously lack of Malachi and Jackie XD) Also, there has got to be another series soon because there was no more mention of Carly/Marcus, Christian/Lissa and Mikhail/Sonya - and you can't just leave it like that!**

Zoe and Neil arrived at the hospital only to find Eddie half asleep on a plastic chair, and Jill nowhere to be seen. Zoe ignored this as she flung the door open to Sydney's hospital room, preparing for the worst, only to see her sister sitting up, looking better than she had been in a long time.

"Zoe," Neil whispered, as if they were on a secret mission of some sort. "Are you going to go in?"

Zoe shook her head. "I... I can't."

"Why not?" Neil asked, confused to his girlfriend's sudden lack of enthusiasm of going to see Sydney.

"She's okay now, and she's got Adrian, and Jill, and Eddie - she doesn't need me. I'll just drag back the bad memories, and she doesn't need that. It's my fault that she had them in the first place." Zoe turned to leave, but Neil stepped in front of her.

"You brought her here - and you regret everything you've done. Don't you think that you've felt enough guilt for this in one lifetime?" Neil asked, as Zoe's eyes welled up with tears. "She's your sister, and all she ever wanted was for you to be happy, and for you to forgive her. And she'll forgive you. She is not going to forget all the good things that you did for her."

"No," Zoe answered. "I haven't felt enough guilt, and I deserve to feel more - much, much more! Don't you get it? I put her in that awful place, and I didn't even regret betraying my sister until I found out what they really did in re-education!"

"Yeah, but afterwards-"

"Afterwards what? It was my fault that she is in this mess, that she had lost half of her mind. It is my fault that she became a submissive doll that the Alchemists wanted, unable to think for herself anymore, it's my fault that she nearly had to get married to someone that she didn't love, my fault that she ran away, my fault that she tried to commit suicide, my fault that she didn't died again because of hypothermia! It is nobody's fault but mine! Don't you get that!"

"Zoe..."

"And the worst thing is, is that if I hadn't have met you... if you hadn't have opened my eyes to what was really going on... then I wouldn't feel much remorse, would I? I would have convinced myself that what the Alchemists were doing to her was for her own good, to cleanse, heal and better herself. I would convince myself that nothing was wrong with Sydney, ignore that there was nothing but a vacant look in her eyes, ignore that she couldn't remember or feel things. I would have let her walk up the aisle to Ian, to make dad happy, and I would never talk to mum or Carly again. I would have stayed an Alchemist for the rest of my life, doing my father's bidding, and believing that the Alchemists could do no wrong. Don't you get it! I deserve to feel everything that everyone I ever hurt has been through!"

Tears were streaming down Zoe's cheeks, and Neil gathered her into a tight hug.

"Oh Zoe..." he breathed. "You're a good person, you don't deserve to feel like this - the Alchemists should."

"C-Can we just go home and come back tomorrow?" Zoe asked, as Neil let her go.

"Of course," he answered, as he made way to hold her hand. But her fingers slipped away from his and she walked ahead of him. And she didn't look back.

. . .

Jill made her way into Sydney's room, carrying the biggest cup of coffee that she could find. Sydney was probably craving this stuff like crazy. She stopped at the door for a minute, admiring the scene of Sydney and Adrian finally catching up on all the years they had missed. Sure, Sydney was still a bit distant, and she certainly wasn't the same as all those years ago, but she was still there, and it made Jill smile as she observed the light coming back into Adrian's eyes. She glanced at Eddie, who was dozing on one of the chairs across the room. He hadn't intended on falling asleep, but he had been up for over twenty-four hours.

Jill pushed the door open, and smiled as she waved the rather large styrofoam cup of coffee in greeting. "I managed to just about score the largest cup of coffee in the world."

"Well actually-" Sydney began before Adrian cut her off and laughed.

"Just accept the coffee Sage." Sydney sighed and nodded, holding her hand out for the coffee. Jill couldn't help but feel sad as Sydney flinched when their fingers brushed.

"Thanks," Sydney said softly. "Where's Eddie?"

"Sleeping outside," Jill answered, the feeling of rejection not disappearing. "He's been up for ages and he really just passed out." She smiled thinking of her boyfriend.

Sydney nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "He could always have my bed."

"No Sage," Adrian interjected. "The nurse was very specific in her instructions - and scary about them too."

"That doesn't make any sense," Sydney pointed out, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting. "And I don't like it in here."

"Yeah, well trust the expert opinions Sage, you are not getting out of here until their say-so. I cannot lose you again."

"You'll never lose me again Adrian," Sydney answered him softly, touching his hand gently.

Jill shook her head, sensing a bunch of soppy love confessions coming on. "I'm out of here," she muttered to herself. And she made her way outside, to the waiting room, to wake up Eddie so he could get some proper sleep.

. . .

Lissa was surprised when she was woken up in the middle of the night by one of her guards, telling her that her presence had been requested urgently.

"Sonya? Mikhail?" She gasped as she entered her sitting room. "What's wrong?"

"Our house was broken into, and Sonya was attacked," Mikhail said, not releasing his hold on Sonya's hand. "I thought that it was some teenage thugs at first, but this..." he shook his head. "This was serious. And Adrian was attacked in the hospital the other day, as well as Nina Sinclair being shot dead."

"And?" Lissa asked, fearing what they were going to say next.

"We think this attacker is targeting all spirit users - which means that..."

"I'm next," Lissa concluded grimly.


End file.
